Sherri Lorraine (Luft) Lewis

Sherri Lorraine (Luft) Lewis, 63, left us unexpectedly yet peacefully, in the arms of her devoted family, husband Randy, son Brandon, and daughter Brittni on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, at the ICU in the Peter Lougheed Hospital, Calgary, Alberta.

Sherri was born in Didsbury, AB to Margaret (deceased) and Frederick Luft (deceased). Sherri grew up on a dairy farm west of Didsbury. She was one of eight children: Diana Luft (John), Deborah Kenney (Gerald, deceased), Kathy McNeil (Don), Laurie Wik (Ron), Susan Graham (deceased), Robert Luft (deceased), Donna Mae Gartner (Dale). She is survived by her loving husband Randy, son Brandon (Mallory) and granddaughters Talula & Reya, and daughter Brittni. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Sherri’s work ethic and commitment are admirable. Even from her early days when growing up on the farm, she would throw hay bales, milk cows before & after school, collect eggs, feed all the cows and farm animals, and ride horses to school on occasion. Sherri’s brother and father unfortunately passed on the farm at a young age. Sherri attended grades 1-12 in her hometown of Didsbury, AB. She then enrolled in Red Deer College and graduated in Administration Arts. After graduation, Sherri made her way to Calgary, AB and worked at Bow Valley College. Sherri met her future husband, Randy Lewis, in Calgary at the Keg, where they continued to return for wedding anniversary celebrations (39 this year). They moved to Halifax in 1984, where Sherri worked as a medical transcriber (& enjoyed many seafood chowders from the kitchen above her office that she always reminisced about). Sherri and Randy were married in Sydney, Nova Scotia on August 22,1987. After a brief but memorable stay in Nova Scotia, they moved back to Alberta in 1987, where they built their life together and welcomed their children (Brandon – 1989 and Brittni – 1992). They made their home together in Airdrie over the years and then later an acreage in Butte Hills, Rocky View County; always creating a warm loving space filled with laughter and cherished family traditions and memories. Sherri and her family routinely visited Nova Scotia every few years, spending precious time with her in-laws: mother/father-in-law Shirley Lewis (deceased), Albert (deceased), sister-in-law Wendy Sue Wagner (Brian). Sherri greatly enjoyed exploring places like the Cabot Trail (Ingonish), Louisbourg Fortress, Baddeck, Bras d’Or Lake, Peggy’s Cove with her family and every beach or place that sold fish and chips in between.

Most of Sherri’s career has been about caring for others. She worked at The Bethany Care Centre in Airdrie, where she drove a senior care shuttle bus to outings such as the ZOO, Cochrane for ice-cream, Bowling, Drumheller Museum, and Smitty’s for brunch. She ensured the tenants were able to continuously enjoy and experience the outdoors and never had a dull moment in her care. After many years, she moved into the Alberta Health Services’ Day Program, where she facilitated daily interactive craft sessions and gourmet snacks. She recently retired from her latest care-oriented career as a Clerk III at the Airdrie Urgent Care Center. She always had the biggest smile when greeting clients as she truly enjoyed dealing with the public. Sherri would make it a point to show up early every day with a few extra coffee/treats for her co-workers and regularly chat about “Her Girls”, as she liked to call the special nurses she enjoyed working with daily. Everyone recognized Sherri for her warm welcoming smile, patience and the laughter she brought into the office, she was a bright light as many described.

From an early age, Sherri’s love for horses and the great outdoors started to grow. Her dedication to 4H and admiration of the equestrian/farm life led her to win countless trophies and awards throughout the years. Sherri’s love and commitment eventually led her to be crowned Rodeo Queen in her teenage years (a title that reflected her grace and strength). Sherri enjoyed watching live feed of the Alberta Wildies and the Wild Horses of Sable Island, Nova Scotia. In 2023, Sherri was able to live out a dream of visiting the serene, isolated landscape of Sable Island and walk alongside the wild horses that have been living there with minimal contact for hundreds of years.

Sherri never missed a chance to cheer on her children (son Brandon, daughter Brittni) at soccer, dance, hockey, and every adventure they pursued. There was never any doubt about how proud Sherri was whenever she talked about her family. Some of the family’s favorite memories came from camping trips to Mt.Kidd, Koocanusa, Christina Lake, and Nova Scotia (to name a few). Sherri and Randy would load up the motorhome, then later the fifth wheel trailer, to take their family to grow their love for the outdoors and the memories they would create, cherish, and carry on. Sherri would go above and beyond to ensure each camping trip was filled with tradition and only the best memories (which include spider dogs, smores, campfires, songs, games, cards, lake time, marbles, and family/friend time). One of Sherri’s profound joys in life was spending time with her granddaughters. She loved playing in the Fall leaves, reading stories, baking cookies, making waffles, pancakes, and pizza. She found joy in feeding the horses with them, taking walks, blowing bubbles, and flying kites. Sherri was a proud grandma, cheering them on at gymnastics, swim, soccer, and dance, all along cuddling them with endless love. Sherri mentioned her “Special Girls” (granddaughters, Talula and Reya) in every conversation she had. Sherri enjoyed frequent trips to Mexico, Florida, Las Vegas, and Nova Scotia, always searching to find the most thoughtful souvenirs for her family & friends. She always enjoyed looking for the next locally made candle, hotplate, or hand soap to use at home. Sherri would also regularly enjoy concerts/live music, some of which included: Andrea Bocelli, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Gordon Lightfoot, and her sister, Susan Graham in the earlier days.

Sherri consistently embraced her learning and artistry. She loved expressing creativity and always created beauty with her hands in anything she engaged in. She took many glasswork, flowerpots, and painting classes, continuously adding to her collection around the home with some of her favorite pieces planted in view. Her green thumb brought life to many vegetable/flower gardens and vibrant decorative flowerpots. Sherri’s adventurous spirit empowered her in many aspects of her life. To name a few, some of her natural achievements include moments like becoming Rodeo Queen, taking part in many Melissa Run events in Banff, supporting and participating in many Cancer Walks in support of her sister, Susan’s memory.

Sherri’s love and care for animals was unwavering. She would feed any wild kitty that showed up on the doorstep (eventually saving them and bringing them to the Cochrane Humane Society), watch robins nesting on the deck, owls playing in the backyard (ensuring they stayed undisturbed, even forfeiting our deck for a couple months so they had a peaceful place to raise their young), watch the moose, deer and fox roam by, as well as watching and feeding the birds and horses she came across.

Sherri had a heart full of love and joy; with family at the heart of everything she did or thought about. Some of Sherri’s greatest joys were putting others before herself. She cherished cooking, hosting family gatherings, decorating the house for all festivities, and creating warm welcoming spaces where love flowed freely. Family and friends that were stopping by, Sherri would, without hesitation, start up the kitchen to provide meals ensuring visitors never leave hungry (something she learned from her mother, Margaret), often sending them with take home meals as well. Sherri truly valued supporting and spreading kindness to all her friends and family, making every moment special together.

Sherri adored volunteering in support of the Airdrie community. She delighted in cooking meals in the local kitchen for the vulnerable population in the community and dropping off goods to the Veteran’s Food Bank/local Fire Department. Sherri loved taking part in community parades (watching, preparing floats, and participating in). She contributed many years to decorating and walking alongside Brittni’s dance floats and floats for many other companies she worked for.

Sherri Lewis will be missed tremendously by her family and friends. While Sherri may no longer grace our lives physically, her spirit, lasting love, compassion, and memory will continue to inspire us. Her light, strength, and laughter will forever shine bright in our hearts and everything we do in honor of her memory.

Celebration of Sherri Lorraine (Luft) Lewis’ life will be held in the spring of 2026 for family & friends. You can reach out to brittnilewisphoto@gmail.com to share any treasured photos of you and Sherri. Additionally, you can provide your email address to stay informed about the future details on the official date/location.

Sherri’s treasured charities:

The Cochrane Humane Society | Alberta Wildies

Arrangements in care of: Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., 5226 – 46 Street, Olds, Alberta. Phone: 403.507.8610

• Date : 2026-02-09
• Location : Heartland Funeral Services (Olds) www.heartlandfuneralservices.com 403.507.8610