Cheryl Ann Manahan

Cheryl Ann Manahan, 63, passed away on May 6, 2026, in Avon, Indiana. She was born on August 29, 1962, in Monroe, Michigan, to George and Helen Rankin — but to the people who loved her, especially her daughters, she was simply Mom. Cheryl was steady, loyal, and quietly strong in a way that made others feel safe. Her presence was a comfort, her strength a constant, and her love something that shaped lives in ways that will be felt for years to come. She was the kind of mother whose strength didn’t need to be loud to be known, whose love showed up in everyday ways, and whose resilience left a mark deeper than she ever realized.

She graduated from Jefferson High School and spent her working life caring for others with a reliability you could always count on. She began her career as a CNA at Frenchtown Villa Convalescence Center in Monroe, MI, where she offered comfort, dignity, and compassion to those in her care. After moving to Cloverdale, IN, she later retired from Richmond Guttering, closing a career built on hard work, commitment, and a sense of responsibility that never wavered.

But Cheryl’s story is not defined only by the work she did — it’s also the things that made her feel alive. She loved riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles, finding freedom in the wind and the open road. She loved being with family and friends, laughing, talking for hours, and simply being together in the ways that mattered most to her. At home, she found comfort in scary movies, Hallmark shows, and especially the Twilight series — familiar worlds she returned to again and again, small escapes that brought her joy and peace.

Cheryl is survived by her daughters, Stephanie (Shawn) Ragan of Indianapolis and Erica Wheeler of Terre Haute; her brother, George Rankin of Millbury, Ohio; her grandchildren, Makailey Ragan and Tyler Ragan, both of Indianapolis; and her nieces, Leslie Wilkes, Lisa Wilkes, and Julie Cochran of Monroe, Michigan. She also leaves behind many cousins, great-nieces and nephews, and countless loved ones whose lives were brightened by her presence.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Helen Rankin; her sister, Valerie Wilkes; her grandparents, Vearl and Martha Moyer and Vol and Mae Rankin; and her longtime partner, Carl Johnson. And though she is gone, her love and her strength live on — in her daughters, in her family, in the people she cared for, and in all the quiet ways she made life better simply by being who she was.