Cheryl Harley

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Cheryl Ann Harley - known to family and friends as Ann or Annie. Ann, aged 71, passed away just after 12:00pm on Saturday, January 6, 2024. Her daughters, Heather and CJ, held her hands as she took her final breaths, sending her with love and warmth into the arms of those who’ve gone before.

Ann was born on April 8, 1951 to Veleda Pinckney and Walter Harley in Grand Rapids, MI. A creative from the start, Ann enjoyed and excelled at just about every art form that exists, from singing and dancing to watercolor, photography and pottery. Ann started go-go dancing in her adolescence and moved on to dance on point with the Kalamazoo Ballet Company in her 20’s.

Between the years of 1991 and 1995, Ann completed her GED and attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College where she earned an associates degree in desktop publishing.

Ann was a colorful and fiery woman. She was passionate about those she loved, and she held a special place in her heart for the underdogs, the outcasts, and the misunderstood. Over the course of her life, she built a large and diverse family-of-choice comprised of people from all walks of life. Most of all, however, Ann loved her children: Christen, Sara, Heather, and Gabe. She was a fiercely protective mother and she took a great deal of pride in that role, as well as in the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren.

Ann was preceded in death by her daughter, Sara; her brother, Don; her sister, Lonna; her father, Walter; and her mother, Veleda. She is survived by her children, Christen, Heather and Gabe; and her grandchildren, Molly and Liam.

Ann’s daughters are planning a celebration of her life, to be held this summer - as summer was her favorite time of year. We will share more details in the spring.

Visit Cheryl's webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com to archive favorite memories, photos, or sign her guestbook. Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.