Cheryl Kay (Finnell) Yavornitzki squeezed a century of life and loving into her too-short 63 years. Despite a cancer diagnosis 20 years ago, Cheryl wrung out two extra decades with her family by enduring countless treatments with incredible grit and grace. She was surrounded by her husband, two daughters and four grandchildren at home when she finished her race and went to be with the Lord the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, 2020.
Cheryl was known for her larger-than-life capacity, endless energy and unshakable joy and optimism. She was a picture of the Col. 3:23 mandate to, in “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Whether spoiling her grandkids, serving as a key witness in a lawsuit at work or finishing an ambitious woodworking or remodeling project, Cheryl exhausted herself and her resources to do the job well.
Born in Wichita, Kan., on Feb. 23, 1957, to Ralph and Ruth Ann Finnell (Preston), Cheryl and her sister Cynthia spent most of their summers at the Twin Rivers swimming pool. Cheryl graduated from North High School in 1975 and Wichita State University in 1979, where she also volunteered with Young Life. She lived, worked and raised her children in Wichita but for a brief move to Kansas City.
Cheryl parlayed a bachelor’s degree in English into a career in banking, deploying her intellect and near-photographic memory to become an invaluable asset to several employers. She filled vice president positions at both Bank IV, Fourth Financial Corporation, and Fidelity Bank before spending the last 14 years at Juniper Payments, formerly Lending Tools. Working even through taxing cancer treatments, Cheryl also served in an advisory role at Uncommon Giving over the last year.
Outside of work, Cheryl cheer-leaded her husband, Stephen Yavornitzki, in his career with the U.S. Air Force over nearly 25 years of marriage, telling anyone who questioned the long last name: “He cooks.” But — as anyone who checked out her groceries or sat next to her on an airplane can attest — her favorite topics were her children and grandchildren.
An active runner and swimmer earlier in life, Cheryl would have made her artist mother and carpenter father proud in recent years as she took up go-getting woodworking and remodeling projects. Her creativity lives on especially in fairy and dollhouses made for her grandchildren, in whom she delighted.
Cheryl is survived by her husband, Stephen Yavornitzki, her children, Whitney Pipkin (spouse Cole) and Allison Casey (spouse Garrett) and her grandchildren Cora, Charlie, Maggie and Ruby. As she walked toward glory, Cheryl’s earthly accomplishments seemed to matter less and less. When her daughter leaned over on Thanksgiving Day to say, “Mom, you’re incredible,” she shook her head. “No,” she said, “God is.”
A family memorial service will be livestreamed at eastminster.org/live at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19, from Eastminster Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, the family has chosen a memorial at METAvivor, 1783 Forest Drive, #184, Annapolis, MD 21401 to further the cancer research that helped prolong Cheryl’s life. Additional details are either below or at: http://ugivfunds.com/cheryls_legacy
In lieu of an in-person reception, please consider sharing your stories about Cheryl with the family on a Facebook group created in her honor. An in-person celebration of her life is being planned for mid-2021.
