Cheryl Diane Moses

Cheryl Diane Moses (“Cherie” or “CheriBaby”), lover of the Blues, black Great Danes, purple ribbons, Gold Tequila and colorful gardens passed away on December 30, 2019.  Cherie was a pancreatic cancer survivor and about to celebrate her 12th anniversary of Whipple surgery which saved her life.  Her sudden passing is tragic.  Cancer may have been the battle, but not the cause.

Born to Leah and William Moses in Chicago, IL, May 20, 1952, Cherie spent her youth riding horses in Fontana (near Lake Geneva), Wisconsin before moving to Petaluma, California in 1970, and soon thereafter, to her heartbeat, San Francisco.

Cherie worked as UPS driver for 10 years in SF’s Financial District.  Her driving and parking skills were impeccable.  This was no small feat and a skill for which she remained extremely proud.  One of CB’s favorite buildings to deliver to was the 52-story Bank of America building.  She used to tell the story of sneezing (CB could project a sneeze) while in the elevator of the BofA Building. As the elevator descended, she could hear tenants on each floor blessing her on the way down! She truly appreciated her years at UPS and she could actually pull off wearing brown.

CheriBaby immersed herself into her passions and had deep connections with many friends in a variety of circles. One of those passions was music.  Cherie loved music.  She really loved music.  Her favorite, the Blues.  She not only talked the talk; she walked the walk.  From the mid-70’s until her passing, you could have the pleasure of seeing her dancing at any show, anytime, anywhere.  North Beach to New Orleans, concerts, festivals and cruises, CB was a constant on the Blues circuit.  Most recently CB attended a number of gigs including her favorites: Nancy Wright, Kenny Neal, Joe Bonamassa, Tab Benoit, and Curtis Delgado over the course of her last three months.  Chemo treatments BE DAMNED.

Around the same time Cherie was developing her love for the Blues, she was raising her first of what was to be six Great Danes.  Midnight (pictured) came into Cherie’s life and the bond was born. In January 1999, Cheri welcomed her inaugural breeding of Great Dane litters sired by the majestic Ch. Valinor's Forest Wind “Zephyr,” who was the winner of the 1995 GDCA stud dog class.  Cherie would be involved in a total of four litters with lines to Zephyr and an integral part of Valinor’s MVP Danes.  When not at a gig, Cherie spent considerable weekends attending dog shows in the wee hours of the morning. Now, Cherie loved her coffee, and being a coffee connoisseur, she formed her own “JoToGo” coffee trailer, hitting dog shows where she spent several years greeting the weary-eyed best of show at dawn with a brew and smile.

After being diagnosed and surviving pancreatic cancer, CB became a dedicated warrior for the cause. She never took her cancer journey for granted.  Attending the annual Lustgarten Walk for Pancreatic Cancer, Cherie had the honor of cutting the starting purple ribbon twice. Just this past December, CB and her team successfully completed the 5k walk, greeted by a rainbow at the finish line. These moments gave Cherie such great joy.

Cherie loved being by the water and this admiration would be recurring throughout Cherie’s life.  From Lake Geneva, to family houseboating on the Mississippi, boating on Lake Mendocino, water skiing the Russian River, sipping her favorite Tequila while relaxing on the beaches of Mexico and Hawaii, dog days of summers at Folsom Lake, rafting the American River, residing in Lake Tahoe, Blues Cruises, frequent trips to the Coast and Bodega Bay.  She had her final days next to her private pond, visiting with friends, listening to the Blues, savoring coffee on the deck, surrounded by her flora and her beloved last of the line Dane, Gibson.

Cherie is survived by her brother Lee Moses (Vicki), sisters Carol Damas and Georgieann Hartman (Rich), Adored Aunt of Scott Martino (Nicole), Lisa Spaletta (Paul), Jerry, Jennie & Marie Hartman and a number of great- nieces and nephews who loved their “Auntie” dearly.  Cherie’s contagious smile, lust for life and stories of her mishaps and adventures will be greatly missed.

Cherie's Celebration of Life is scheduled for Saturday, February 22nd 1p-5p at the Penngrove Social Fireman Club, 385 Woodward Ave, Penngrove, CA 94951.  If you would like to make a donation in Cherie’s name to Lustgarten Foundation for pancreatic cancer research please follow www.lustgarten.org/donate. Thanks to separate funding to cover administrative expenses, 100 percent of your donation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research.