Obituary of Sheryl Barnard

Sheryl entered into Heaven on December 16, 2011 after a short battle with cancer. Throughout her final days she was surrounded by family and friends who will miss her dearly. She was deeply loved by all who knew her. Sheryl was born in Burbank, California and grew up in Ontario, California. She attended Whittier College. During high school and college she worked part time for the YMCA. That is where her passion for the YMCA began. Upon graduation from college she moved to Marin, California where she began her career with the Marin YMCA. That career took her from Marin to Tempe, Chandler and Phoenix, Arizona. From there she came back to California to be the Executive at the Montecito YMCA. During her career she helped raise money for the facilities in Marin, Chandler, Tempe and Santa Ynez, California. Her final project was to secure the property in Montecito to establish a permanent home for the YMCA there. Her passion and enthusiasm for the Y and the programs it offered was infectious to all. This was the key that enabled the fundraising activities to be successful. During her career Sheryl received many recognitions and awards. However, the two she was most proud of were; Fund Raiser of the Year given by the North American YMCA Development Officers in 1992 and the Lynn Franklin Memorial Award given in 1998. Sheryl retired from the YMCA in 2006 after thirty-eight years. Her many years with the YMCA were extraordinarily meaningful for her and she held many wonderful memories. Since retirement, Sheryl has remained active in the Montecito Rotary Club and several other organizations throughout Santa Barbara. She enjoyed attending UCSB Women's Basketball games with the Fastbreakers and participating in activities and visitations as a member of Friendship Force. She greatly enjoyed entertaining and spending time with her family. Sheryl brought love and laughter to us all. She planned activities that have created lasting memories for her family. The family favorite was the annual gathering in Yosemite that she arranged each year. We will always remember the times we spent together hiking, swimming/rafting in the Merced River and meals around the campfire. Another memory was the time spent wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley. Her personal favorite was the Sunstone Winery in Santa Barbara County. Sheryl was the "Great Aunt" to seven nieces and nephews and their families, which include nine great nieces and nephews. In addition she leaves behind two sisters and two brothers-in-law, Melinda and Kamran Saeb and Pamela and Thomas Blinn. The family would like to express their sincere thanks to all of those who shared their love and friendship during the two and a half months she was ill. You were a true Blessing to her as she was to all of us. She will be greatly missed. A Memorial Service will be held at Calvary Chapel, 1 North Calle Cesar Chavez, Ste. 21, Santa Barbara, Calif., (805) 730-1400 on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Sheryl's name to the Channel Island YMCA, Montecito Branch or to Rotary International.