She was preceded in death by her husband, Hank (Henry Frederick). Sherry is survived by her sons, Henry and his wife Anne Marie, Kevin and his wife Catherine, Keith and his wife Jenna; and her three granddaughters Catie, Sarah Grace, and Julia. She was a devoted mother and Nana.
Sherry was born in Phillipsburg, NJ, on April 13, 1938. She was the first of three children (including her brother Donald, who survives her, and her sister Helen) born to Arthur Mueller and Mary Chando Mueller. She was fiercely independent and determined to follow her dreams despite the obstacles women faced in the workforce by attending nursing school at St. Francis College, where she became an RN. Subsequently she worked at Columbia Hospital in New York City, and later joined the United States Air Force.
Sherry enjoyed her time in the Air Force, and met Hank when they were both stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL. As a First Lieutenant, she outranked him when they met. They married less than a year after meeting and spent 42 happy years together as partners and best friends before his death in 2008.
During and after her time in the Air Force, Sherry lived in a number of places, including a year of overseas service. After Sherry settled in Chattanooga in 1972, she spent most of her career as an ER nurse, but family was always her priority. When her sons were grown, she went back to school at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to earn her Bachelor’s degree, which she was very proud of. She was passionate about the importance of education and public service, which may explain why all three of her sons work in education.
Sherry did not want a public funeral, but instead requested to be interred with her husband, Hank, at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in a family ceremony. She asked that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made in honor of Hank and Sherry Leckenby to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN.
Arrangements entrusted to Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services Franklin -Strickland Chapel, 1724 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN, 37404, 423-265-4414. Please visit our website to share your memories: www.advantagefranklin-strickland.com
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