Cheryl K. Bailey

Cheryl K. Bailey, nee McGiverin, age 60, of Schererville, IN, passed away on Friday, August 7, 2026. Beloved wife of Bruce Bailey. Loving mother of Margaret (Daniel) Shores, Michael (Frannie) Zahn, and Trevor (Meena) Bailey. Cherished grandmother of Nate, Autumn, Maverick, and Grayson. Dear sister of the late Terry (Jeri) McGiverin, and half sister to Kimberly Treptow and Vic Tipton. Cheryl was special to many other family members. Preceded in death by her parents Paul and Margaret McGiverin and her parents-in-law John and Janet Bailey. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

Adopted by her loving parents, Cheryl grew up in Cedars Rapids, Iowa and attended John F. Kennedy High School. As a child, she enjoyed Cubs games with her dad, home-cooked meals from her mom, visiting Hawaii and Italy, and road tripping to many national parks. She spent a few memorable summers shucking corn as a teenager before moving to San Diego, California to start a family. There, she met the love of her life, a handsome sailor in the Navy who wanted children just as much as she did. The two were so in love that Bruce's extended stays at sea became non-negotiable for them. Thus, they moved from sunny skies back to their roots in the Midwest, landing in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Cheryl's passion for raising children was obvious to anyone who spent more than five minutes with her. Outside of performing the day-to-day functions of a homemaker, she showed unconditional love to her children, supported them in all their extracurriculars, lent her ears and shoulders when times got emotional, and somehow always knew the right things to say. She was an absolute overachiever in her full-time job as a mother. She didn't just drop her children off at sports practice, she stayed and cheered them on the entire practice, every single time. She may have also had her People magazine with her :)

In addition to being a loving mother, Cheryl was a devoted wife. Together with Bruce, she enjoyed drinking a strong cup of coffee, playing music all day (especially heavy metal), spending time with their dogs Sami, Austin and Chyna, and cooking their favorite meals, like lasagna, Swedish meatballs and bulgogi. The two lovebirds drove the same American muscle car, a Dodge Charger, one in black (Cheryl's) and one in purple (Bruce's). They vacationed at several beach towns in Florida and traveled for their children's educational milestones in Princeton, New Jersey and Ann Arbor, Michigan. They attended their children's weddings in Illinois, Indiana and Oregon, and witnessed the birth of their grandchildren. The love between Bruce and Cheryl was evident in the way they locked eyes and smiled, their communication, and how they held each other. They were happily married for 34 years.

Cheryl spent the last few years of her life in Schererville, Indiana in the house of her dreams. With her children all moved out, her new infatuation became her grandchildren. Her eyes would light up anytime they visited. In her spare time, she watched CSI shows, read about her favorite famous figures, like Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, and various politicians, and played challenging word games to keep her mind sharp. She carried her wit and wry smile until her final moments.

Visitation for family and friends will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the celebration of life service at 4:00 p.m. at Smits Funeral Home, 2121 Pleasant Springs Lane, Dyer, IN. Memorial contributions in memory of Cheryl may be given to the American Diabetes Association (https://diabetes.org) and Breakthrough T1D (https://breakthrought1d.org).