Cheryl Ruth Willoughby

Cheryl Ruth Willoughby, born March 23, 1953, in Waterloo Iowa, entered into her eternal rest on February 24, 2026, finally finding peace after a life richly and fully lived.

Cheryl was born to Donald J. Hurst and Marilyn King and was raised in Waterloo, where she met the love of her life, Thomas Willoughby. Cheryl and Tom shared more than fifty-four years side by side, exemplifying to all who knew them what unconditional love truly looks like. Together, they spent over twenty years serving this great nation, embracing the opportunities military life provided and traveling the globe—from Okinawa to Europe and throughout the United States—creating a lifetime of memories for themselves and their children.

Cheryl lived with her whole heart. She poured her love into her family and friends, creating a home filled with warmth, laughter, and unwavering devotion. She was not only an artist traveling and sharing her creations throughout the southeast but she was also an artist both in the garden and in the kitchen, where countless hours were spent preparing unforgettable meals and making cherished memories around the table. She was a devoted wife, an extraordinary mother, a proud grandmother and great-grandmother, and the steady heart of her family.

A day will not pass, nor a meal shared, without the presence of her love and the memory of her beautiful spirit.

Cheryl was preceded in death by her father, Donald J. Hurst; her mother, Marilyn King; and her brother, Michael Hurst. She is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Thomas Willoughby; her children, Michael (Kristen) Willoughby, Ryan (Jamie) Willoughby, and Sara (Norm) Shaver; her seven grandchildren, Cathy (Ben), Joshua, Jamison (Ryan), Colin, Cody, Kendall, and Cooper; and her four great-grandchildren, Joshua, Ben, Elowyn, and Dalton; Her sister Sandra Alexander and three brothers James, Brett and Steven Hurst.

Her legacy of love, strength, and grace will live on in all who were blessed to know her.