IN MEMORIAM - Sheryl “Sherie” Sourelis

IN MEMORIAM

Sheryl “Sherie” Sourelis
—1944-2011—

Sheryl Ann “Sherie” Sourelis died after a very brief illness on February 8. She was 66. Born July 14, 1944 in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Sourelis moved to Guadalajara with her family when she was just 14 years old. She completed her early studies in Guadalajara schools and did her advanced studies in art in several European schools, including the Sorbonne in Paris. She was well-known in the Lakeside community, where she had lived for 15 years.

Sourelis was a painter of village scenes as well as scenes from other places in Mexico. She painted greeting cards that were very popular with tourists, who often had them framed as mementos of their visits to Ajijic and Puerto Vallarta, where she opened a bakery following a successful career in real estate. She was active for a time in the Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) and played major roles in two productions, The Little Foxes and Shadowbox.

She is survived by her mother, Ruth Campbell, daughter Marcela Gómez-España and a son, Javier Gómez-España. She had four grandchildren. She is also survived by her companion of three years, Richard Stafford.

Sourelis will always be remembered as a bright, positive woman who bravely faced the loss of two husbands and a child, never losing her sense of humor or her grace. Of her, her friends say that they never heard her utter one negative word about anyone. A memorial service was held on February 12 in the Lake Chapala Society gardens.