Sherry Renae Thurman, 79, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2026 at Hospice of the Valley, in Phoenix Arizona, following a month long battle with the last stage of Alzheimer’s Disease. She was surrounded by her husband, children, grandchildren and caregivers the last days of her life. Her funeral is May 16, 2026, at North Lake 3rd Ward, 828 S. Center Street, Lehi, Utah. She will be buried at Orem City Cemetery, Orem, Utah.

Sherry was born in Davenport, Iowa, on September 5th, 1946, as the first child of Harrison William Horn and Adrienne Lamona Horn. A brother, Harrison H. Horn, completed the family 3 years later. After serving in the Signal Corps in the Pacific Theater of WW II, her father became a real estate agent in Davenport, and they moved many times during her childhood. She learned the value of hard work by painting walls, decorating homes, weeding yards and de-tasselling corn for genetic experiments. She spent her first year in high school in Davenport, Iowa; her second year in Seattle, Washington; and her Senior year in Orem, Utah. This was difficult for Sherry, but she learned how to quickly make friends and that was a talent she used throughout her life.

Sherry’s parents learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from an Army buddy who had joined the Church in California and came to visit them in Iowa. They joined the Church when Sherry was 5 years old. She loved Primary and was quick to teach her family things they should and should not do on the Sabbath day. Thus began for Sherry a long life of devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and service to God’s children. She had a beautiful singing voice and sang for many church meetings and at funerals.

She married Gary Boyd Thurman June 20th, 1968, in the Salt Lake Temple and they quickly started their family. Their two girls were born in 1969 and 1970 while Gary was in graduate school. The following two years were spent in Silver Spring, Maryland, with Gary doing postdoctoral work with the Naval Medical Research Institute. Then they moved to Galveston Texas, where their two sons were born at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Gary’s career took them to Washington D.C., Nashville, Tennessee, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Following their retirement, Sherry served a five year mission with Gary in the Addiction Recovery Program for the Church. They made many life-long friends there and saw the effects of the Savior’s love transform people’s lives and work miracles in changing sorrow and addiction into joy, control and service.

She is survived by Gary, her husband of nearly 58 years; her brother Harrison (Barbara) Horn and four children: Taunya (David) Rivers; Tricia (James) Johnson; Kyle (Marla) Thurman; and Travis (Tami) Thurman and she has 16 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, all of whom she loves dearly.

Sherry’s life was all about Service. In addition to serving her family, she taught in the Young Women’s Program, the Primary and the Relief Society. She gave many lessons about home decorating and cake decorating. She liked to surprise people with a small decorated cake on their birthday. She initiated programs to improve homes for abused women and their children, and spent many hours helping her daughter, Tricia, with Gathering Humanity, preparing homes for refugees.

Sherry was loved by everyone who knew her and was a positive influence on her family, friends and acquaintances. Her radiant smile and cheerfull countenence will be sorely missed by all, especially her family.

Those wishing to make a donation to honor Sherry’s memory, in leu of flowers, may do so to the non-profit organization: Gathering Humanity, 510 South 52nd Street, #107, Tempe, AZ 85281