Sherri Jane Lackey

Sherri Jane (Ohmart) Lackey was born on September 6, 1949, in El Dorado, Kansas. The daughter of Patricia “Irene” and Melvin Edwin “Bill” Mills, Sherri grew up in Towanda, Kansas, and, after graduating from Circle High School and Butler County Community College, she enrolled at Kansas State University and obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1972. She was united in marriage to Willis “John” Lackey on April 23, 1977, in Prairie Village, and the couple resided in Overland Park for over 36 years. She loved her family, which includes her son, Ryan (Natalie) Lackey of Manhattan; grandchildren Caroline and Brooke; and sisters Judy Hill of El Dorado and Melanie (Jack) Goss of Wichita. Sherri was passionate about sports, working for the NCAA when the organization was located in Kansas City, and education, working as a volunteer and paraprofessional in various elementary schools in the Blue Valley School District. Her love for sports spilled over to her personal life as she was a season-ticket holder for the Kansas City Chiefs for over 30 years, and she enjoyed going to Kansas State sporting events, especially football. In her later years, Sherri enjoyed watching her granddaughters perform at dance competitions and recitals. Sherri passed away on June 3, 2026. She is preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Irene. A celebration of life will be held at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, at Johnson County Memorial Gardens with burial to follow. Memorial contributions may be directed to the K-State Athletics Ahearn Fund and American Cancer Society.