Leverett, MA – Cheryl Lynne Howland of Leverett reluctantly left the planet on July 7, 2026. She loved this life and all things connected to the natural world. She was a musician, a lover of animals, and a keen observer of nature. From a young age, reading and learning were passions, and she read the entire family encyclopedia from A-Z as well as her mother’s nursing texts.
She also loved Eva Gibavic who she did not want to leave. They were partners for 35 years (13 before they were legally able to marry). For 20 years, Cheryl and Eva donated flowers and vegetable starts to teachers, libraries and to the community. In response to the pandemic, the effort was expanded into the Great Plant Giveaway, with a multitude of volunteers joining the effort. She joyfully sang with the Leverett Community Chorus and at nursing homes with the Leverett Caravan Chorus.
Cheryl was born on November 24, 1951, to Norma and Charles Howland. The family, including her older sister Deborah and younger sister Janice, lived in Reading, Massachusetts. She showed an early affinity to the natural world, including delivering her first Collie puppy at age four.
Cheryl’s love for books led to her working in and owning a bookstore, before employment in the Biological Sciences Library at UMass Amherst. She earned her B.A. through the University Without Walls, followed by her Masters and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in counseling. She subsequently took a position as assistant director at Disability Services at UMass. She was a strong defender of rights for individuals with learning differences and disabilities, a passion inspired in part due to her lifetime advocacy for her sister, Janice, who had Down Syndrome.
She found her spiritual home when she saw a triple rainbow over the Mt. Holyoke Range. In 1991, when meeting by chance, Eva asked her if she was in the mood for an adventure and Cheryl often said that all she had to do to find home was to fall in love. Cheryl’s sister called her fierce and she liked that. She was fiercely passionate about the land that she and Eva shared.
She leaves her sister, Deborah Howland-Tolla of Beverly, MA, many nieces and nephews and in-laws as well as her wife, Eva. There will be no calling hours. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity that supports the natural world.
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