Sherry Jo Clift

With profound sadness we announce the passing of Sherry Bell Clift, devoted wife, mother, and friend, on July 1, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She left us peacefully from complications of acute leukemia. She was in her 50th year.

Our graceful Sherry loved to quote Coco Chanel — “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” And Sherry is undeniably irreplaceable. Born at Ft. Benning, Georgia, she spent her childhood in Jena, Louisiana and Phenix City, Alabama and graduated near the top of her class at Glenwood High School. At age 22 she fulfilled her dream to move West; and in her adopted Las Vegas home, she shone as bright as the city itself. People who met her were struck by her glamorous smile and elegant beauty. Her soulmate, Bob, called her a rose among thorns because she drew eyes everywhere she went.

And yet the only thing brighter than her smile was her heart. To be with Sherry was to feel loved. She truly lived as Paul counseled in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, encouraging others and building them up at every turn. She reached out to all she met and was never too busy to offer kinds words and helping hands. At work, she posted a motivational quote on the whiteboard every day, and she readily acted as peacemaker no matter how it affected her personally.

When old friends from home visited the City of Lights, Sherry dropped her busy schedule to drive them around and show them the scenery. Her home bustled with family, friends, and dogs—because dog hair is glitter, you know—and she pushed everything else aside to play cards or Barbies with her grandchildren. Even with her always-fresh manicure, she was the first to pack the camping gear or jump on the bike with Bob for a spontaneous road trip. And despite so many commitments, she managed to return to college for her bachelor’s degree at Western Governors University. While working full time and caring for everyone around her, she still carried a 4.0 GPA.

We miss her. We miss her baking, her banana pudding, and her elegant (yet healthy!) meals. We miss her corny jokes and infectious laughter. But we celebrate all that she means to us. We smile at the lights on her ficus tree because every home has to have one. We dance to every Beatles song that comes on the radio, especially if it’s Paul singing. We swap stories of the places she loved visiting around the world. We tell the string joke and remind each other to drink more water because that’s what Sherry would do. She is, without doubt, irreplaceable.

Our beautiful Sherry was preceded in death by her parents, Carolyn Crooks Bell and Rayford Bell. She is survived by the love of her life, Bob Clift; her strong children, Melanie Melton Estrada and Hunter Melton; her adored grandchildren, Manny and Hanna; and three loving brothers, Kenny, Paul, and Jim Bell. Her life will be privately celebrated by family and friends at a later date.