Mrs. Ann Taff

August 7, 1951 - October 29, 2011

Sherry Ann Taff, born on August 7, 1951, in Louisville, Mississippi, died suddenly on October 29, 2011. She is preceded in death by her mother and father Eddie Mae and Howard Leon White and her sister Sandra White Creed. She is survived by her loving husband, John Snowden Taff, with whom she shared 37 years of marriage, her daughter Sarah Quinn Power and husband Jarrod Power of San Antonio, her son Caleb Snowden Taff of San Antonio, her sister Susan White Dempsey of Louisville, Mississippi, her Uncle Bobby and Aunt Cynthia White of Pickensville, Alabama, as well as a host of beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. Sherry will be remembered by her family, her students, and her friends as someone who lived with passion and energy dedicated always to helping others. As a career educator she wanted her students, including her children, to know how to learn. Sherry received her BA and MA degrees in Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University. Upon graduation she and her husband John served two years in Costa Rica with the Peace Corps. Upon returning to the states Sherry began her career as a teacher. She taught for 25 years in the Northside Independent School District at Clark High School, Stinson Middle School and O'Conner High School. She received additional post-graduate training in Clinical Psychology from St. Mary's University and was certified as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology so that she could test and diagnose students with learning disabilities. Her extensive on-going research on cognitive learning led her to develop a style of curriculum and methodology that can be used by teachers of any subject to aid a student's ability to learn. Upon retirement from NISD, she continued to work with teachers, giving workshops in the Northside and Harlendale school districts and other school districts in Texas. She was currently working on her Doctorate in Education through the Educational Leadership Program at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Sherry willingly gave of her time and abilities to help others wherever she found a need. She touched the lives of thousands of students and others, whether it was tutoring children, helping troubled teens, conducting community Bible studies or working with her church youth group. In all, her highest commitment through her Christian faith was to her family. A memorial service for Sherry will be held on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 10:00 AM at Wayside Chapel with visitation with family to follow. 1705 Northwest Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas 78213. Visitation will be held Monday, November 7, 2011, from 10 a.m. until service time at Betheden Lutheran Church in Louisville, Mississippi. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Betheden Lutheran Church with interment to follow in Betheden Cemetery. Messages may be left online with the Nowell-Massey Funeral Home in Louisville at http://www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Northside Education Foundation online at http://foundation.nisd.net/donate.html.