The Milo Adventist Academy family in Days Creek, Ore., is stunned and heartbroken as we grieve the loss of our Milo matriarch, Cheryl Andrieux. More than 300 people attended her funeral on Feb. 10, 2018, and more than 4,000 watched the service being live streamed.
Andrieux suffered a pulmonary embolism on Sabbath morning, Jan. 27, as she prepared for church. Paramedics were able to revive her, but she remained unconscious. She was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, Ore., where she fell asleep in Jesus on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, with her husband, Al, and their daughter, Ellen, at her side. She was 71.
Born Cheryl Kay Deibel on March 20, 1946, in Greeley, Colo., she was the first child of Fred and Marjorie Deibel. Andrieux and her younger twin siblings, Max and Linda, grew up in nearby Evans, Colo. She earned a full-ride scholarship to Colorado State University, where she studied for two years before transferring to Union College in Lincoln, Neb., graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and minors in history and secondary education.
Upon graduating from Union in 1969, Cheryl accepted a teaching position at Pomona Junior Academy (PJA) in California. There she met a young bachelor teacher, Al Andrieux. In an interview last September she said, “Al told me that he had been praying for God to send him whoever he was supposed to marry, so he strongly believed God sent me.”
Married at her home church in Greeley, Colo., on March 22, 1970, Al and Cheryl were nearing their 48th anniversary at the time of her death.
After PJA, the Andrieuxes taught at Cedar Brook School in Rehoboth, Mass., and Tacoma Adventist School in Washington before arriving at Milo Adventist Academy in Oregon for the 1983–84 school year. In their 35 years at Milo, Cheryl taught English classes; helped to establish the advanced placement program; and served as registrar, librarian and yearbook sponsor.
Although Andrieux officially retired after 40 years of service, her love, dedication and hard work have been unceasing. She sorted our mail every day, prepared the church bulletins every week, served as church clerk, taught children’s Sabbath School classes, and led the women’s ministry with much love and care. Her generosity and selfless spirit will long be remembered by everyone who knew her.
She is survived by her husband, Al Andrieux of Days Creek, Ore.; daughter, Ellen Andrieux of Sutherlin, Ore.; brother, Max Deibel of Phoenix, Ariz.; sister, Linda Skinner of Lincoln, Neb.; and countless Milo alumni who consider her a second mom. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Marjorie Deibel.
A memory book is being created for her husband by Milo staff. If you would like to include a message of support or your warm memory of Cheryl Andrieux, please send it to darla.milam@miloacademy.org or Darla Milam, P.O. Box 278, Days Creek, OR 97429. Expressions of sympathy can be also sent to Al Andrieux at the same address.
Cheryl Andrieux views the eclipse last summer. The Milo family takes comfort in the fact that the next time they see her, she's going to have a big smile just like this, but she won't need to protect her eyes from the amazing sight of Jesus' coming.
