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Cheryl Lee Turley, 72

| January 14, 2024 12:00 AM

Cheryl Lee (Bernard) Turley, 72 of Kalispell, peacefully passed away on Jan. 4, 2024. She was born on Dec. 2, 1951, in St. Regis, Montana, to the late Helen (Moore) Bernard and Louis Bernard. 

She spent her life taking care of others both in her personal life and her career. After a brief time in the restaurant industry, she worked at Flathead High School in food service for over 30 years and was known as the, “cool lunch lady."

Most recently, she loved to spend time baking, camping, playing cards and bingo and watching NFL football and NHRA drag racing. Earlier in life she was an active member of Glacier Street Rod Association and spent many years helping plan car shows. 

For Cheryl, family was everything, the pride she had in all of her “kids,” children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and everyone she “adopted” beamed through her. She was firm and loving at every turn but would not hesitate to call out BS. She touched countless lives and she will be missed greatly by all of them.

She was preceded in death by her parents; as well as brother, Louis Bernard; and grandchildren, Thomas Taylor and Karissa Taylor.

She is survived by her husband of 39 years, Ralph Turley; her sister, Helen Louise (Bernard) Brundage (Louis) of Kalispell; her son, Rob Eickert (Brooke) of Bigfork; daughter, Patty Taylor (Jesse Housel) of Columbia Falls; and son, Brian Turley of Los Angeles, California; along with grandchildren, Bob Eickert (Joceline), Aaron Henderson, Ashley Eickert and Robert J. Taylor (Mary). She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins, and her beloved dogs, Daisy and Buddy.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, at the Buffalo Hill Funeral Home, 1890 Highway 93 N., Kalispell, followed by interment at Glacier Memorial Gardens, with a celebration of life to follow at the Buffalo Saloon, 5 Swan Way, Bigfork.  

In lieu of flowers, the family is suggesting that donations be made to a memorial fund that will be established to assist kids in paying for school lunches.

Friends are encouraged to visit the website www.buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolences for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory caring for the family.