Sheri Lynn Poletski
May 22, 1956 – August 7, 2026

Sheri Lynn Poletski went home to be with her Lord and Savior on August 7, 2026, surrounded by the family she loved so deeply. She leaves behind a lifetime of love, laughter, cherished traditions and memories that will continue to grow in the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to have known her.

Born on May 22, 1956, to Tommy and Orla Fuller, Sheri grew up in Kneeland alongside her five beloved siblings and her lifelong best friend, Peggy Mullins. Kneeland was more than the place where Sheri was raised; it was the beginning of a life rooted in family, country living and a deep appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors. She was country at heart, happiest surrounded by the mountains, fresh air, open spaces and the animals. Those early years helped shape the strong, capable, hardworking and loving woman she would become. Her parents preceded her in death.

At just 17 years old, Sheri met the love of her life, Stan. After a whirlwind two-week courtship, they married on Valentine’s Day and began a beautiful marriage that would span 51 years. While Stan was away in the Navy they wrote love letters to one another and the family has enjoyed reading the boxes of correspondence they mailed to each other. Together, they built a life grounded in family, hard work, humor, loyalty and a love that stood the test of time. Stan lovingly called her “Ma,” and Sheri affectionately called him “Pa.” Their bond was one of the great and enduring love stories, and the life they created together will forever be part of her legacy.

In 1979, they welcomed their only child, Rene, and raised her in the same beautiful Kneeland surroundings Sheri had always called home. Family was at the center of Sheri’s world, and she found tremendous joy in creating a home where the people she loved could feel comfortable, cared for and welcomed. Whether she was tending to the house, preparing a meal, or helping someone in need, Sheri had a natural gift for making a house feel like home.

If there was one thing everyone knew about Sheri, it was that she took extraordinary pride in caring for her home. She worked tirelessly to keep everything beautiful, tidy and inviting. Her home reflected the woman she was: warm, welcoming and thoughtful.

Sheri was also a remarkably talented cook and baker. Her homemade meatballs, bread, Christmas candy and pie crust were legendary, and those lucky enough to enjoy them knew they were getting something truly special. She loved bringing people together around a table filled with good food and making holidays feel magical. Her cooking was one of the many ways she expressed her love, and her recipes will continue to bring her family together for years to come.

Her gardens were another source of great pride and happiness. Sheri poured countless hours into her elaborate vegetable and flower gardens, growing the best corn and beefsteak tomatoes and filling her surroundings with beautiful flowers. She loved working with her hands and seeing the results of her hard work. She was the beautiful lady on Kneeland who could often be found pushing a lawn mower across a couple of acres every week. Sheri fed the birds and even got some of the deer to eat from her hand. She was strong, capable and determined, Sheri never shied away from hard work and was perfectly happy getting her hands dirty and doing things herself.

Summer was Sheri’s favorite season. She loved camping, fishing, trips to the river and simply being near the water. Sheri loved the beach and collecting agates over the years she and her best friend Doris Seely collected over their lifetime friendship. She embraced the slower pace of country life and found happiness in the outdoors and the everyday wonders of nature. She fed the birds, sometimes right from her hand, and loved watching them come close. When Stan went hunting, Sheri supported his adventures wholeheartedly, sharing in his love of the outdoors and always packed him the very best lunches. These simple pleasures were an important part of the life she loved.

Sheri had a beautiful singing voice, a gift that many people may not have fully appreciated until they heard her sing alongside her sisters. When the sisters got together, it wasn’t unusual for them to break into song and harmonize beautifully. Those moments of music, laughter and togetherness were a special part of the bond they shared and another reminder of the beauty Sheri carried so naturally.

She also had a quick wit, a wonderful sense of humor and a way of making people laugh. In her younger years, she wrote poetry and even created personalized poems as a part time job. Sheri had a special ability to make ordinary moments feel meaningful and to make people feel seen. Her humor, creativity and playful spirit were just as much a part of her as her hardworking nature.

Sheri adored her nieces and nephews and loved having them stay at her home. She took great pleasure in spoiling them rotten, creating memories they would carry with them long after their visits ended. She loved holidays, decorating, baking and making Christmas especially magical. With Sheri, even the smallest details mattered. She had a way of turning an ordinary day into something special and making everyone who walked through her door feel that they belonged.

But one of the greatest joys of Sheri’s life came when she became a grandmother.

When Rene had her first child, Abby, Sheri’s heart opened to a whole new kind of love. She lovingly called Abby “Angel,” and from that moment on, her granddaughter held a special place in her heart that belonged to no one else. When her grandson Tanner was born, Sheri felt she had been given the very best of both worlds.

Abby and Tanner became the center of so much of Sheri’s world. She loved them fiercely and showed that love in the ways that came most naturally to her: by being there, by taking care of them and by making sure they always knew they mattered. She made homemade lunches, baked their favorite chocolate chip cookies, prepared special meals and even hosted dinners for their high school prom. She remembered the little things they loved, anticipated what they needed and found happiness in making them happy.

Sheri showed up for her grandchildren in countless ways, even when it meant stepping outside her comfort zone. Although she preferred the peace and quiet of home and the country, she would happily face crowds to watch their games, attend choir concerts and be present for school events. She may not always have expressed her love in grand speeches, but she demonstrated it every day through her actions: a favorite meal waiting at home, freshly washed laundry, a ride when needed, thoughtful gifts, homemade cookies and a welcoming place to land.

Her love was dependable, generous and constant. She made sure the people she loved were cared for, often before they even had to ask.

When Tanner left for college, Sheri made sure his favorite foods were waiting for him whenever he came home. That was Sheri. She paid attention. She remembered. She anticipated the needs of the people she loved and quietly found ways to meet them. Her acts of service were extraordinary, not because she sought recognition, but because caring for others was simply who she was.

Sheri was a beautiful woman, though she may never have fully realized just how beautiful she was. Her beauty was reflected not only in her appearance, but in the life she created, the people she cared for, the work of her hands, and the love she gave so freely. She faced life’s challenges with resilience, determination and a strength that those who knew her will never forget. She was one heck of a woman.

Two years ago, Sheri said goodbye to her beloved husband, Stan, after 51 years of marriage. She lost her brother and very best friend Gary Fuller shortly after. This took its toll on Sheri’s heart.

Stan and Sheri’s life together was a remarkable love story, built over decades of shared experiences, family, laughter and devotion. Though she missed him deeply, the love they shared remains woven into the family and the life they built together. That love is a legacy that will never fade. They made it through everything intended to break them.

Sheri’s life was not defined by titles or a career outside the home. Her life’s work was people. It was her husband, her daughter and her grandchildren. It was her siblings, her nieces and nephews, her lifelong friendships, her home, her gardens and every person who walked through her door and found themselves welcomed, fed, cared for and loved.

She planted good things everywhere she went. She planted flowers in her garden, food on her table, laughter in her home, music in the hearts of her family and love in the lives of everyone fortunate enough to know her.

And now, it is our turn to carry those gifts forward.

We will carry on the love she planted. We will keep the traditions she created, make the recipes she perfected and tell the stories that made us laugh. We will remember the sound of her singing with her sisters, the sight of her working in her garden, the smell of her Christmas candy and freshly washed laundry, and the feeling of walking into her home and knowing you were loved.

We will honor her by continuing the good things she taught us: caring for one another, showing up for the people we love, finding joy in life’s simple pleasures and making our homes places where others feel welcome. We will remember the strength she showed, the love she gave and the example she set through a lifetime of putting her family first.

Sheri Lynn Poletski was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a homemaker, a gardener, a baker, a singer, a poet, a country girl and a survivor.

But above all, she was loved.

And she loved big.

Her life was a gift. Her hands were always busy. Her home was always open. Her table was always full. And her heart always had room for one more.

Though she will be deeply missed, we find comfort in knowing that Sheri is finally home with her Lord and Savior, reunited with those who went before her and resting in peace. We are grateful for the years we were blessed to share with her, for the memories she gave us and for the countless ways she made our lives better simply by being in them.

Her work here is finished, but the love she planted will keep growing in every life she touched.

Sheri is survived by her daughter, Rene Poletski; grandchildren Tanner Jolley and future wife Hayley Hunt; Abbigayle Jolley-Smith and husband Brian Smith; and great-grandchildren Aby, Gatlyn, Brook and Charlotte. She is also survived by sister Connie and husband Larry; sister Karen Hillis; sister Tami Roberts; brother Kevin Fuller and wife Louise; sister-in-law Valerie Fuller; and countless nieces and nephews she adored.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt, Sheri’s niece Stephanie Poletski who helped immediate family in so many ways in Sheri’s last days as well as Pastor D Brown of Redwood Teen Challenge, who ministered to Sheri’s heart and made a huge impact on her life.

Sheri’s arrangements were taken care of by Ayers Family Funeral Home.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date and family and friends will be invited.

Until we meet again Ma, we all love you …

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Sheri Poletski’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.