Cheryl Nelson Harris

Cheryl Jackson was born on March 14, 1949 in New York City to Margaret Patton Jackson and Lt. Austin Jackson. She departed this life on Monday February 6, 2012 . She spent her childhood in Stuggart, Germany, New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina. Cheryl graduated from West Charlotte High School in 1967 and North Carolina Central University in 1971.

Returning home to New York City, she began her career in education at the Arthur Eugene and Thelma Adair Day Care Center in Harlem where she worked as a teacher. She then spent 15 years at the John F. Kennedy Child Care Center in Brooklyn working as a liaison between the Center and the provider mothers who took care of children until they were school age. She spent 7 years teaching kindergarten at the Cathedral School in Manhattan before returning to Arthur Eugene and Thelma Adair Community Life Head Start Program as Deputy Director in 2001, where she worked faithfully until her untimely death.

She was a member of All Souls’ Church in Harlem from her early childhood. It was here she met and later married Neville Nelson, with whom she had one child, her daughter Kimberly. After the death of Neville in 2000, she became more active in the Church, serving on the vestry as the treasurer and also on the altar. Through the Church community she met Ivan Harris, and they were joined in Holy Matrimony on November 21, 2008.

Cheryl enjoyed traveling with family and friends throughout the world. She was lively and very energetic and loved shopping and taking long walks. Her work with children was very close to her heart, and she provided invaluable support and guidance for them and their parents. She was also a voice at work encouraging staff to always better themselves.

She is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Nelson, her husband Ivan Harris, aunt Ruth Bowers, cousin Keith Bowers and a host of loving friends and relatives.

I’m Free: Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free

I’m following the path God has laid you see.

I took His hand when I heard him call

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day

To laugh, to love, to work, to play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way

I found that peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void

Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss

Oh yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life’s been full, I savored much

Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief

Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your hearts and peace to thee

God wanted me now; He set me free.

WHILE WE ARE MOURNING OUR LOSS WITH TEARS ON OUR FACE AND HEAVY HEARTS, OTHERS ARE REJOICING TO MEET HER AT THE GATE.