Ph.D. In Memoriam Sherry Sanders died July 5, 2005 from complications related to cancer. Sherry earned her MSW from the University of Louisville in 1996. She entered the Ph.D. program in the fall of 1999 and completed her coursework in the spring of 2002. She passed her qualifying exam and was admitted to candidacy in April 2003. In addition to her studies, Sherry was a dedicated social work professional. In her role as a Foster Parent Training Coordinator, Sherry was responsible for training foster parents throughout the southeastern region of Indiana. Her dissertation topic showed her commitment to improving the lives of foster children. She planned to study resilience in foster care. At the time of her death, Sherry was working on drafting her dissertation proposal under the direction of Dr. David Westhuis. Sherry was a resident of Spencer, Indiana where she lived with her husband.
Sherry and I started our full-time doctoral studies together along with Betty Walton as a class of 3. Sherry was a wonderful addition to each of the classes I took with her. She was often quiet, but when she spoke, it was always valuable and her experience and insights for children and families involved with foster care was significant! I especially appreciated when Sherry turned up at my Qualifying Exam defense only as a support to me. I was very saddened when I heard about Sherry and I believe the field of social work has lost a treasure! ~Carol Decker
I was touched by her passion for children's rights. She projected a contagious gentleness and warmth. Above all else, what I remember the most about Sherry is her smile. ~Daniel Navarro
I first met Sherry when she presented a proposal for a contract in the early 1990s. At that time I was the director in Owen and/or Greene and was the person in charge of foster parent training for the Southwest District of the Division of Family and Children. As soon as I took over the task from another director I began a campaign for this task to be done under a contract as I knew it could be developed into a great program and I also knew agency staff did not have the time to do that.
Thus, that is how I first met Sherry. From the first time I met Sherry, she was a breath of fresh air. She lived in Patricksburg, Indiana at that time which is a smaller than small town in Owen County. Because I also lived in Owen County we often discussed the rural lifestyle. I teased her about the true rural lifestyle she led in comparison to the big town of Spencer where I lived. We laughed a lot about that. Sherry and I spent a lot of time in meetings together as I was passing the torch of a county director being in charge of foster parent training to a contracted provider. She was always open for suggestions and change and as a group of dynamic directors, I am sure it tried her patience but she never let on that it bothered her. As time passed our meetings lessoned as she took on the task with gusto and needed very little guidance. If there were problems she provided solutions. If there were problems that had no easy solution, she provided a listening ear. She developed the Southwest Region foster parent training program into an exemplary one for our state.
In later years Sherry and I worked together on some committees but did not see each other often. Sherry and I communicated by email over the years. I saw her on occasion and she always greeted me like a loved one. I had no idea she was ill. She and I had exchanged e-mails just a day or two before her death. Her infectious smile was apparent in her demeanor, her appearance, her tone of voice and even came through her words in her email. We miss her. ~Jane Bisbee | 
