The Good Lord needed a school teacher in Heaven and he found our Mrs. Worley who was in a lot of pain and took her Home to teach children on another plane.

Sherry Lynn (Gibson) Worley, 47, of Festus passed away October 15, 2009 after a 4 ½ year brave battle with breast cancer at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. Mrs. Worley was a 1st grade teacher at Festus Elementary School.

Born April 17, 1962 in St. Louis, she was the daughter of Rose Marie Slawson of Rolla and Jim & Eileen Gibson of Bloomsdale. She was the granddaughter of Ider Moore of Rolla. Sherry was preceded in death by her Mother-in-Law Bertha Worley and her good friend and fellow teacher Shelly Pannier.

She is survived by her husband of 28 years, Leonard “Ponch” Worley; one daughter, Stephanie Worley of Springfield; one son, Ethan Worley of Springfield; 4 sisters: Jackie Goad of Visalia, CA, Marilyn Nelson & husband Rob of Festus, Janine Scroggins & husband Tom of DeSoto and Kim Earney & husband Billy of Columbia; 2 brothers: Larry Gibson & wife Rhonda of Tennessee, and Kenny Gibson of Sullivan; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts & uncles.

Sherry was a 1980 graduate of Festus High School, attended Jefferson College in Hillsboro and completed her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Eastern Washington University in Spokane, WA.

In the spring of 1981 Sherry met the love of her life, Leonard “Ponch” Worley while cruising Festus Main Street. Ponch approached Sherry at McDonald’s and asked, “Do I know you?” and Sherry replied in a sly voice, “You could…”. They were married on November 14, 1981 and enjoyed 28 years as husband and wife.

Ponch joined the U.S. Air Force in 1988 and was stationed in Germany for 2 years. Sherry gave birth to their first child, Stephanie Lynn Worley, on September 2, 1988 in Bitburg, Germany. They moved to Ponch’s next assignment in Spokane, WA in 1990. It was there that Sherry gave birth to their second child, Ethan Lee Worley, on December 31, 1990. In 1991 Sherry & Ponch purchased the Festus home in which she grew up and the family moved back to Festus when Ponch’s USAF service ended in 1993.

Sherry began her teaching career at Festus Elementary School in 1993 as a teacher’s aid and then served as a substitute teacher before she received her own 1st grade classroom in 1995. Mrs. Worley touched the lives of many students during her 14 years as a teacher and she worked every day that she possibly could until the very end. Even in the hospital she continued to “teach” her students. She loved going to school to see her kids and refused to give that up.

Friends, family, current and former students & co-workers will gather in a joyous celebration of Sherry’s life on Saturday October 24 at the Festus Elementary School Gymnasium in Festus, MO. Visitation is from 10 am – 12 pm and the memorial service will begin at noon. Anyone whose life was touched by Sherry Worley is invited to say a few words and share their memories of our dear wife, mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, teacher and friend.