When I started editing the Fit Fare blog on the Well Fed Network back in February of 2006, one of the first writers we hired was a firecracker of a lady named Sherry Cermak. She had trouble figuring out the blog interface we used and would email me regularly to ask me how to upload something or to fix a technical glitch.
In between work stuff, we also started to chat about other things – food, farmers markets, cats, and squirrels. When I left Well Fed, Sher was one of the few people I kept in touch with, and still have her blog What Did You Eat? in my RSS feed. Her weekly updates about her cats, as well as the many recipes she posted, kept me well-entertained.
Last Sunday, Sher died suddenly of a heart attack. She had had a couple of health issues when we worked together – I remember some vision concerns that prompted her to ask me to do careful edits on her work because she had trouble seeing what she had been writing – but the heart attack was apparently completely unexpected.
The food blogging community has been hit hard by her loss, particularly her dear friend Glenna who is hosting a tribute to Sher today where food bloggers are creating posts based on their favourites of Sher’s recipes. I didn’t get around to making one of Sher’s many delightful dishes – it’s been a bit of a crazy week – but I couldn’t let the day pass without taking part in some way.
Sher had an energy and an inner light that touched everyone she came in contact with – even if that was only via the wires of the internet. Her enthusiasm was infectious and she always seemed to have a funny story or a kind word. The weekly photos of her beloved cat Upsie, who passed away a few months ago, were a constant source of amusement for me. I am deeply saddened to know that there will be no more recipes, or cat posts to read, or that her witty comments will no longer appear on my own blog.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences to Sher’s family and friends. The loss of someone so vibrant is painful to us all, even if we never knew her in real life, but the loss for those closest to her must be huge. Sher was a true “character” in the very best way, and the world is a darker place because of her passing.
Goodbye, my friend. You will be remembered with great fondness and respect.