BRADLEY, Sherry Lynne

February 9, 1955 — July 12, 2026

Sherry Lynne Bradley passed away peacefully, and yes, with a smile, at 5:23 pm on July 12, 2026, in Kelowna General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, holding hands with her tearful husband of close to 33 years, Norm.

Sherry’s life, like most others, cannot be captured within the confines of a traditional obituary. Descriptors are a better place to start.

Sherry lived life with enthusiasm, energy and a great sense of fun. Sherry was truly special. Sherry was goldenly beautiful. Sherry cared deeply about helping others and she was kind. Sherry created a unique bond with her high school students and her greatest reward in counselling was having had a small part in helping students make the best choices for themselves. Sherry loved dogs, and most recently, Molly and Lucy.

Sherry was fun, encouraging, and positive. Sherry was caring, loving, understanding, and inclusive. Sherry was intuitive. Sherry loved to celebrate and daily, she could always be found sitting poolside in her patio chair sipping on her favourite Pinot Gris and reading or doing her crossword puzzles. Sherry loved BBQ’s and Happy Hours and always made the best charcuterie. Sherry loved a full house, and she lit up any room with her smile. Sherry’s laugh made others laugh. Sherry could jive and she could sing. Sherry was inspirational and she was a lifelong learner. Sherry was feisty and competitive. Sherry was athletic, active and loved the outdoors. Sherry was simply happy to be on the lake in her boat. Sherry was a silky, fearless slalom water skier. Sherry was always cozy sitting around the backyard fire with a blanket wrapped around her. Sherry’s happy place was Maui. Sherry was “the best” caddie for Norm and Sherry could also play – she shot 86 at Kelowna GCC in her final round. Sherry was the very best “Mom” to Ashley and Courtney, always sticking up for them regardless the circumstance.

And lastly, Sherry loved her precious granddaughter Braeloch, vowing to teach her to swim this summer and that is exactly what she was doing.

Sherry will be missed and remain forever in the hearts of Norm; her daughters Ashley (husband James) and Courtney (boyfriend Dylan); her granddaughter, Braeloch; her sister Carla; her first husband Dave (fiancée Jenny); her nephews, Nathan and Corey; her great-niece, Kirsten; her closest friends from the Coast and the Okanagan; her colleagues in public education and a legion of buddies at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club; and her Wednesday hiking sisters, Club Pilates, swimming mates, harp circles, and recently, the ‘rock choir’.

Sherry is predeceased by her mother Pat and father Bill, sister Maridee, and brother-in-law Lloyd.

Sherry was born in February 1955 in Burnaby General Hospital. When Pat and Bill brought Sherry home to Port Coquitlam from the hospital, her two older sisters thought she was so beautiful with her “golden” red hair, they decided to call her their “baby doll”.  She was a cheerful, outgoing toddler and young one who got along with everyone.

Sherry attended Mundy Road Elementary School until 7th grade, then did a year at Winslow School for 8th grade and then moved on to Montgomery Junior Secondary for grades 9 and 10 before heading to the big “scary” school, Centennial Secondary, for grades 11 and 12.

When Sherry was 15, she and her mother flew to England to visit relatives and went on a side trip to Ireland, where the Irish people fell in love with her red hair and sparkling personality.

Sherry and her friends would eagerly pile into her mom’s station wagon in the summer teenage days, spending all day on the beach hanging out, swimming and playing football with the boys. It truly was the summer of 69 and Sherry’s love of beaches was born.

Sherry was also an “All My Children” fanatic during her teenage years and with her best friend and a plate full of KD, they were in heaven. This was certainly a foreshadowing of her later love of Hallmark movies. Last November, Sherry’s passion for the good-feeling Hallmark genre even prompted Sherry to convince her best and long-time friend to accompany her on a Christmas Hallmark Caribbean Cruise with 3,000 other Hallmark ‘crazies’ for just another once-in-a-lifetime adventure with Sherry.

Sherry was a conscientious student in school, and she was also an amazing athlete, playing field hockey, track, basketball and volleyball, in which she excelled as a setter.   At Douglas College following high school, Sherry was part of the Royals team who were Totem Conference Champions in 1974.

Where Sherry was at home though, was in the water.  She was and continued to be throughout her entire life, an amazing swimmer. Whether it was in her backyard pool where she would routinely stroke out 70 to 100 lengths, swimming around the buoys at Gyro Beach or taking it across the lake in the annual “Across the Lake Swim”, Sherry stroke was smooth and strong. Sherry loved dolphins and she was one.

Thanks to her mom’s expertise, Sherry competed provincially and nationally as a synchronized swimmer, travelling across Canada, falling in love with her favourite Quebec City during one competition, and flying off to Oahu on another memorable team trip. This trip embedded the scent of Hawaii in her soul. She even swam in the historic Ogopogo Pool that once existed in Kelowna’s City Park.

Sherry was most proud though of her selection in high school to the BC Honour Choir in which she sang as a soprano with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Her best friend since elementary school, through junior high and all the way to graduation, who was also at her bedside in her last hours, had this to say about Sherry… “Sherry was the best friend I could have ever had.  I was the new girl in the school when we first met, and she was the popular, pretty, athletic girl, who made an awkward geeky girl feel special.”  That was Sherry until her passing, always making others around her be seen, be heard, feel comfortable and have value.  Sherry graduated from Centennial Secondary in 1972.

Sherry’s post high school life started at Douglas College, where she continued her volleyball and began her journey towards teaching as a career in 1973.  She transferred to UBC in 1975 and graduated with a Bachelor in Physical Education in 1978.  Sherry transferred to Simon Fraser University’s Professional Development Program and completed her Professional Teaching Certificate in 1979.

From 1980 to 1986, Sherry taught PE and English in the Mission School District at Mission Secondary, making the one-hour commute from Port Coquitlam to Mission.  While at Mission Secondary, Sherry coached volleyball, soccer, track and field, and cross-country.  In 1987, she moved to the Coquitlam School District as a substitute teacher to be closer to home to raise her girls. In 1989, she taught PE for a year at George Pearkes Junior Secondary in Coquitlam.

Outside of her professional role, Sherry was a busy athlete, playing volleyball and soccer on community teams, and even running a marathon with her best friend at the time. Sherry also became a fitness instructor and taught high and low-impact aerobics for two years. If that wasn’t enough, Sherry was the Coquitlam Carolinas Synchronized Swimming Club’s Head Coach from 1986 through 1990, capped off by being named Head Coach of the BC Provincial Team for the Western Canada Summer Games in 1990.

At the same time, she married her high school sweetheart David Bedwell. Green has always been Sherry’s favourite colour and their wedding cake was three tiers of pale green icing with green roses. She loved it!

Summer camping at Little Shuswap, Harrison Bay or Auntie Dee-Dee’s cabin in Peachland was always a time full of waterskiing, runs and games around the campfire. Later, when Sherry and Dave had daughters, Ashley (1983) and Courtney (1986), Sherry’s life goal was to ensure her girls every opportunity to experience all that life offered. Like their mother, Ashley and Courtney excelled in sports, were extremely competitive and talented, gaining scholarships in basketball, golf, and field hockey.  Ashley’s U-17 BC basketball team won the Canadian Championships and her BC “B” Team upset the BC “A” Team to win the National Field Hockey Championship in Saskatchewan in her grade 12 year. Courtney’s select soccer teams won the Provincials multiple times and came so close to winning the National Championship. Who was the Team Mom? Sherry, of course.

In 1990, Sherry was offered a temporary job at Hatzic Secondary by a Principal friend who thought she would make a great counsellor. She was a natural counsellor, learned on the job, was mentored by incredible colleagues and found her true passion and purpose in supporting students learn how help themselves through life’s varied experiences.  In 1994, Sherry completed a Diploma in Education in Guidance Studies and Counselling Psychology from UBC Vancouver.

While at Hatzic Secondary, Sherry met the love of her life, Norm, who was a Vice-Principal at the time.  Sherry moved to Kelowna in September of 1994 and promptly married Norm at the Benvoulin Heritage Church on September 2. Twenty-five years later, they renewed their vows in the same church, munching on a MacDonald’s Egg McMuffin and drinking Prosecco, officiated by the same dear friend who will preside over her “Celebration of Life”.

Sherry cemented her passion for supporting students when she completed her Masters’ Degree in Counselling from Gonzaga University in 1997.  Sherry first counselling assignment was filling in for her soon-to-be cherished friend at George Pringle Secondary.  After a short stint at Kelowna Secondary School and time at Hollywood Road Middle School the next year, Sherry returned to Pringle as a counsellor and remained there until the school closed in 2003. From there, Sherry was nabbed by her husband to be part of the counselling “dream team” at Mount Boucherie Secondary, where he had taken over as Principal.  Sherry remained loyal to the Bears until she retired in June of 2015.

Sherry’s passions as a counsellor were: creating and sustaining a caring and vibrant Peer Counselling Program at MBSS; playing an active and influential role in the Suicide Prevention Team in the Central Okanagan School District; supporting the growth of student leadership in MBSS and across the Central Okanagan School District; and caring each day, with her dog Molly, for the mental health and well-being of her students.   Sherry was the spark and fuel behind Norm’s energy to rally amazing teams of teachers and administrators in the Central Okanagan School District to come together and host the best-ever BC (2009) and Canadian Student Leadership Conferences (2014).

Following retirement, Sherry continued to be a learner. Over the last several years, working with her gifted harp teacher, Sherry committed herself to learning to read music and play her new harp.  She loved her harp and routinely filled the house with angelic and soothing music. In 2020, Sherry completed her requirements to be a SoulStrong Intuitive Life Coach and Meditation Teacher and used this training to facilitate communities of practice.  Sherry also returned numerous times to the school district to help in schools where a counsellor was needed.  Her last and her most meaningful counselling come-back was at Okanagan Mission Secondary, where she loved the staff, students and school-vibe.  She truly became a converted and loyal Husky!

Sherry loved to travel.  She and Norm ventured to close to a hundred different places since retirement.  While Maui and Machrihanish will be where some of her ashes are spread, her favourite place, by far, was Italy – for the house white, tasty bread, and of course, Limoncello at evening’s end.  Bellagio, Orvieto, Capri, and being serenaded by an opera singer in a gondola in Venice were top of Sherry’s list.  Prosecco at night with Norm at the Trevi Fountain in Rome was her most romantic and cherished memory.  Sadly, Norm and Sherry had so many places still to see.

An obituary is a poor excuse for a description of the true value of a person’s life.  Sherry Lynne Bradley made a positive difference in other people’s lives every day. As we look back on Sherry’s influence, we will all realize how lucky we were to have shared so many adventures with her. Those memories will always make us smile, and we will think of her often with love and gratitude.

“There are no words” is how so many people have begun conversations or written notes in cards to Sherry’s family over the past month.  And to that, Sherry’s family would agree. The unbelievability and shock of losing “Our Sherry” is deeply personal to each person she has touched with her soul, her spirit, and her smile. The only consolation, as small as it is, is to remember that our grief for Sherry’s loss comes to us because love came first — our love for Sherry and Sherry’s love for us.

On Saturday, September 26, 2026, a Celebration of Life will be held for Sherry at 11:00 am, located at the Mary Irwin Theatre, 421 Cawston Ave, Kelowna, BC. Please join us in celebrating “Our Sherry”.

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