Sherill Ann Cordts Slack

STOUGHTON - Sherill Ann Cordts Slack passed away peacefully at home on the morning of July 15, 2025, after spending her final days surrounded by family, including her daughters and all of her grandchildren.

Sherill was born on Nov. 16, 1937, the only child of Everett and Ruth Annette Cordts of Pekin, Illinois. She graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill., in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as part of Wesleyan’s first ever full four-year nursing class. On March 26, 1959, Sherill married her high school sweetheart, Jerald “Jerry” Slack, also of Pekin Ill. Soon after the wedding Jerry’s new position as a Civil Engineer with the Wisconsin Highway Commission led them north to Madison to start their new life together. The day after arriving in Madison, Sherill walked to Madison Methodist Hospital to apply for work and was immediately hired on as a nursing instructor. In 1962, she left Madison to accompany Jerry through U. S. Air Force pilot training, first at Craig AFB in Selma, Ala., and then on to Perrin AFB in Denison, Texas. In 1964, Sherill and Jerry returned to Madison and bought their first house together on Calypso Road near Warner Park. In 1965 their first daughter, Ann, arrived and was soon followed by daughter, Sara in 1967 and finally son, John in 1969. In 1972, they moved from Calypso to their new home on Lake Monona where they built up a book of fond memories of life on the lake with their children and with their neighbors and best friends, the Pierces.

As her children grew into young adults Sherill made the decision to further her education and to resume her career. In 1983, she entered graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where in 1985 she earned a Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling. After graduation Sherill started working full time as a rehabilitation counselor helping clients transition from disability back to full time employment. In 1989, Sherill and Jerry purchased a condo on Fort Myers Beach in Florida which was the culmination of a dream that grew from cherished Florida vacations spent in prior years with her parents and her young children. Sherill continued working until 1994, when she learned that her first grandchild was on the way and decided it was time to retire and focus full time on her new role as Grandma Sherill. Her first grandson, Everett Lenz, was soon followed by Olivia Lenz in 1997, Isabella Lenz in 1999, Jake Lenz in 2001, Wyatt Slack in 2003, and finally Cole Slack in 2007. In 1996, Jerry joined Sherill in retirement and in 2000 they built the home of their dreams on the Yahara River just south of Stoughton, where they were to spend the rest of their days together enjoying family, friends, and most of all, each other.

Sherill was an extraordinary woman who possessed an exceptional combination of intelligence, wisdom, and grace. Her nursing training combined with her memory gave her an encyclopedic knowledge of medications and medical procedures and her family often speculated that if she had been born in a later time she would have become an M.D. What those who knew and loved her most will remember, however, is her intense love and ferocious loyalty towards her family and friends. Sherill made friends easily and once you became one of her people, you were likely to remain one for life. She was a great listener who made whomever she was with feel heard, understood and important. Sherill paid careful attention and could always tell you not only about all the details of her friends’ lives but also those of all their children, friends, and family as well. Sherill was a correspondent in the classic sense who wrote elegant letters and cards in her younger years and eventually progressed with technology into emails and finally text messages. In her later years she maintained running conversations with all her grandchildren and friends via texts and as they can tell you, she was not afraid to make liberal use of emojis.

Sherill loved life and she lived all 87 of her years to the fullest. She never dwelled on hardships or setbacks but always spoke fondly of the good times including her childhood in Pekin, the pilot training years with Jerry, raising the kids on Lake Monona, great times in Florida, and most of all, priceless times with family and friends. All six of Sherill’s grandchildren grew up within a few miles of her in Stoughton and enjoyed nothing more than spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Sherill was not afraid to spoil her grandchildren a bit, as evidenced by the ‘What happens at Grandma’s stay at Grandma’s’ sign that still hangs on her back porch. More importantly, however, she was a constant source of wisdom, support and encouragement who helped them all believe they could be anything they chose to be in life. She will continue to hold a special place in their hearts for the remainder of their lives. Her granddaughter Oliva used her as the subject of a college paper on appreciating inner beauty and summed her up wonderfully with this quote.

“Sherill, my grandmother, is one of the most beautiful and amazing women I have ever known. She has so much strength, love, forgiveness, wisdom, and determination. Her beauty is deeper than most. She has been through so much in her life yet approaches every day and every person with a positive attitude. She refuses to let any negativity touch her heart. I admire her more that I can express in words.”

Sherill is survived by her daughters, Ann Slack (Tom Rice) and Sara Lenz (Dan Lenz); grandchildren, Everett Lenz (Anna Lenz), Olivia Lenz (Christopher Erb), Isabella Lenz, Jake Lenz (Arianna Lenz), Wyatt Slack and Cole Slack. Sherill was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Ruth Cordts; her son, John Cordts Slack; and her grandson, Calvin Slack Lenz; and by her loving and devoted husband of 65 years, Jerald Slack.

After Jerry’s death Sherill’s one desire was to remain in their home which she was able to do thanks to the unending care and support provided by her daughters, Sara and Ann, along with that of her dedicated care givers, Sam Price, Pam Cuniff and Jacinta Kallenbach, to whom we are all forever grateful.

A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service on Tuesday. The family invites you to lunch immediately following the service at Buck and Honey’s in Monona.

Memorials may be made to John Cordts Slack Memorial Scholarship Fund #112548266 by mail to: UW Foundation, U.S. Bank Lockbox #78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

5203 Monona Drive

(608) 221-5420