Sheryl C. Swartz, 68, of Chardon, passed away Monday March 16, 2015, at Geauga Hospital in Chardon.
She was born March 12, 1947, in East Cleveland to Delmar & Roberta Swartz.
She was a longtime Mentor resident and a 1965 Mentor High School graduate. Sheryl graduated from Lakeland and Kent State University with a degree in teaching.
Sheryl coached at the Painesville and Willoughby YMCAs, the Wickliffe Water Devils, worked for the Mentor Recreation Department and coached at Harvey High School, Mayfield High School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Wickliffe.
Sheryl was a very influential person to many Lake County age group swimmers in the 70''s and 80''s. She was a coach and mentor who taught children and teenagers to be gracious in victory and defeat and to learn from every race and every workout. She taught team members to value the good of the team over individual accomplishments. The lessons of hard work and integrity that she taught from the pool deck live on in the lives of many of her former swimmers.
She repaired and restored furniture at Shelton''s in Wickliffe.
She taught school at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and seventh grade at JR Williams.
Survivors include her mother, Roberta Swartz of Painesville; siblings, Betti (Don) Goddard of Geneva and Debbie Conant of Avon Lake; nieces and nephews, Dan Schneider, Rebecca Mosier, Matthew, Michael and David Conant; several great-nieces and nephews and thousands of swim team children that were her family.
She was preceded in death by her father.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Monday, at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio 44060.
Funeral service will be held Tuesday at Noon at Mentor United Methodist Church, 8600 Mentor Ave., Mentor, where the family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. until time of service.
Contributions may be made to Lake County YMCA, 933 Mentor Ave, Painesville, OH, 44077, the Sheryl Swartz Swim Team Fund for the Painesville and Willoughby teams.