OBITUARY: Charlene Evans Sherrill

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Charlene Evans Sherrill

Charlene Evans Sherrill was reunited with the love of her life on October 16, 2021. She died peacefully at home in Nashville.

Her beloved husband of 54 years, Billy Sherrill, died in 2015, and Charlene spent the last 6 years talking about how she was looking forward to seeing him again.

Born on May 27, 1939 in Tullahoma, Tennessee to Lillian and Charley Weaver, Charlene later became an Evans when Lillian remarried to Clyde Evans. After moving around a lot to such places as Washington, DC, and Texas, the family eventually settled in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She then made her way to Nashville, working downtown at National Life and Accident Insurance Company. She regularly had lunch at the Clarkston Hotel Coffee Shop and became friends with some of the local music talent of the time. She was invited to visit Sun Studio Nashville, upstairs from the coffee shop, where she saw Billy sitting on the floor of the studio and heard him say “I hate doing these damn lead sheets!”. Charlene said she knew right then that “he was the one”, and she and her friend, Sara Jane, chased him all over town to see him perform with his band. They were married on January 30, 1961, and their amazing life story began!

She was a doting wife to Billy, a beloved mother to Catherine (Cathy), and “Grammy” to two grandchildren, Samantha and Matthew. She became a great grandmother when Charles Maxwell Broughton (Charlie), was born in 2018.

Having been an avid reader since she was a very young girl, beginning with her Nancy Drew books, she read on average a book a day. Through the years she traveled extensively with family and friends, amassing lots of worldly knowledge, that made her unbeatable at Jeopardy, which of course was a mother/daughter must watch every afternoon!

She especially loved New York City, enjoying her favorite musicals on Broadway. Another great joy was listening to grandson Matt play her favorite songs on the piano. She always loved hanging out on their boat on Old Hickory Lake, playing poker and gin, and also loved her extended stays on their boat in Panama City Beach, Florida with her arm around Billy, enjoying the beautiful Gulf’s endless water. Playing “The Name Game”, Rummikub and cards at the condo in Florida will always be treasured memories for all of us. Another fun memory was while shopping in Fairhope, Alabama one afternoon, we decided it was time to stop for a cocktail when she announced “Grammy wants vodka!”

Over the years, she joked that she should write a tell-all book entitled “I Was There”, to share what really went on behind the scenes in the Nashville music industry in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. She shared a lot of these nuggets with some of us, but she and Billy were just so happy together in their world of family, football (ROLL TIDE!), boating, and just chillin’ and being goofy, she never got around to committing it to paper.

Charlene is survived by her loving “only child” Catherine Lale, and the “son she never had”, son-in-law, George Lale, two grandchildren, Samantha Lale Broughton (Jay), Matthew Lale, great-grandson Charlie Broughton, and two sisters, Ann Sutton Crownover, and Emily Evans Sanders. We would like to thank her special angels Shanna, Toi, and Mya for all their love and care for her and our family.

Please join us in celebrating her life at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville, Tennessee 37204, on Thursday, October 21, 2021, from 2 pm – 4 pm, with a brief graveside service following.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson St., Nashville, TN 37203, or Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, 2200 Children’s Way, Nashville, TN 37232.

We are all thankful that she is now resting in peace in heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” – Revelation 21:4

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