Cheryl Ann McAlpine

CHERYL ANN McALPINE, age 58, of Sugar Land, Texas, passed away Saturday, September 15, 2012. She was born October 18, 1953, in Deming, New Mexico, to Melbourne Ray and Ruby Joyce Wilcox Fewell. Cheryl graduated from Baylor University in 1975, and was a teacher at various schools in Texas, including Parsons and Waters Elementary Schools in Lubbock, Crockett Intermediate School in Richmond, and First Colony and Fort Settlement Middle Schools in Sugar Land. She is survived by her husband of twenty-seven years, Keith McAlpine; son, Mitchell McAlpine; her parents; sisters, Kay Stewart (Fred) of Waco, Texas, Debbie Anderson (Ken) of Silver City, New Mexico, and Jan Armstrong (Steve Zimmerman) of Lynnwood, Washington; seven nephews, and many other loving relatives and friends.

Cheryl’s passion was music and teaching. While in high school, Cheryl was an accomplished pianist and served as a Church pianist at her hometown First Baptist Church in Deming. She also served as a Church pianist for Williams Trace Baptist Church in Sugar Land and for Trinity Baptist Church in Missouri City. Cheryl directed children’s and youth choirs including numerous musicals. She loved writing music and over the years, composed many songs, some of which were published. In the earlier days, many of those were scored by hand before she had an electric piano with music writing software. Writing inspired her even more after she spent a week at a songwriter’s conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Many times she would wake during the night to write down music so she could capture the moment and then finish the song later.

Cheryl’s passion for teaching was very evident. During Cheryl’s teaching career, she spent countless hours teaching piano lessons and tutoring students after school and on weekends. In Lubbock, she taught social studies, music and directed many musicals. While there, she also accompanied the piano for students performing their music solos. In 1984, Cheryl moved to Sugar Land and continued mentoring students. She enjoyed teaching 5th and 6th grade math and was compelled to help her students not only learn math, but to have fun with it. This drive to make math as much fun for her students as it was for her provided a constant source of motivation during her career. Cheryl genuinely loved all her students and always held their best interests at heart.

Cheryl had a positive impact on all who knew her, impressing everyone with her kindness and humanity. We will miss her warm smile, intellect, wit, humor and friendship.

A Memorial Celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, September 22, 2012, at Sugar Land Baptist Church, 16755 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, with Dr. Phil Lineberger, officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Cheryl's memory be made to:

UT Neurosciences Research Repository

Dept. of Neurosurgery

UTHSC at Houston, MSB 7.148

6431 Fannin St.

Houston, TX 77030.

Checks need to be made payable to UTHSC at Houston and include a memo that the donations should be directed to the UT Neurosciences Research Repository.