Cheryl Dawn Young's Obituary
Cheryl Dawn Young passed away on April 10, 2026, at the age of 70, surrounded by her family after a determined battle with leukemia. Cheryl lived a life rooted in compassion and creativity, touching the lives of her family, friends, and the many patients she cared for over four decades as a nurse.
Born and raised in Murray, Utah, Cheryl grew up with her parents and four brothers. She spent the latter years of her life in Sandy, Utah, building a home full of sunlight, art, books, and small treasures gathered over a lifetime.
Cheryl devoted more than 40 years to nursing, finding her deepest calling in pediatric home healthcare, where she supported children and their families through both heartbreak and triumph. She cared deeply for her patients, and many of the families she served became lifelong friends.
Cheryl was a creator at heart. Beginning in childhood, when she taught herself to sew, she spent her life perfecting recipes, learning new crafts, and finding ways to turn small moments into something special. She expressed love through the things she made and delighted in giving thoughtful gifts that reflected what people cared about most. Her loved ones treasure those gifts: favorite desserts baked to perfection, hand-sewn holiday decorations, elaborate keepsake boxes, expertly made clothing.
As a mother, Cheryl encouraged her children to be unapologetically themselves and modeled an independent spirit. Her children grew up with handmade birthday cakes and Halloween costumes, and her grandchildren have many memories of crafting with Grammy and receiving the thoughtful creations she made just for them.
Cheryl loved plays, books and audiobooks, a quirky comedy, and the beauty of ordinary nature. She adored her dogs whose funny personalities brought unique joy to her daily life. She had a remarkable green thumb, and under her care, plants always flourished.
Much of what defined Cheryl (in work and in life) was a tenderness for vulnerable things. Most notably in her vocation as a pediatric nurse, but in so many small ways like traveling hours to bring an injured hummingbird to a rehabilitation center and bringing home the sickliest plants from the nursery because she believed they deserved a chance. She put her heart on the line, always believing she could help in some way.
Her legacy lives on in the compassion she instilled in her family, friends, and the many patients whose lives she touched.
She is survived by her three children Brett Packham (Cheree Packham), Jaime Boyce (Josh Boyce), Shannon Young, her eight grandchildren, and four brothers. She was preceded in death by her loving parents Walter Max Young and Donna Young
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