Requiescat in pace, Cherie Maylis

I hate when you get that phone call, out of the blue, telling you someone you knew has died.  This happened yesterday, in the middle of my workday.  I got a voicemail from a co-worker, telling me that Cherie Maylis had died.  I was stunned, as you usually are when you get that kind of news.  I knew she had been ill, but didn't think she was that ill.  Her funeral was SUNDAY.  No one thought to call me and tell me.

I guess a lot of people didn't know about my relationship with Cherie.  She was my first mentor in the Library Department.  She was my first real  "boss".  She hired me as a ten-hour messenger clerk in 1976 at Pacoima Library.  I had been her "Girl's Day" girl.  "Girls' Day" is the precursor to "Take your daughters to work day"  I remember going with her to Central Library for "Book Look", the cheery nickname for "Book inspection that the then-admin did not like. I always called it "Book Look" Cherie was a Young Adult Librarian at the time .  I learned a lot about working with people and the public from Cherie. 

I know her given name was Cheryl, but I knew her as Cherie and that's the name I used most of  the time.  I know later in her career she preferred her given name, but gave me a pass on using it as I had known her so long.  She was an expert quilter.  I won a quilt she made at a raffle, " The Bremen town Musicians"  I am glad I still have it.

I am thankful I knew her, thankful for friends who have guided me on my career path,as she did.  We had lost touch, but the last time I saw her was in our local Denny's ( the only DECENT place to eat in Tujunga- lol)  She was with a young friend and they seemed to be talking about something that was  private and important to the young girl.  Cherie was a kind person, always helpful to the "kidlets" as she called them.  She was a wonderful Children's Librarian and an advocate for her profession.  A few of us are planning some kind of get together to remember her and what she meant to us.  I think she wanted a private service, but memorial services are for the living and grief shared is grief relieved.

Rest well, my friend.