BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Christine Ann “Chris” Williams passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on April 21, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. Chris was born on Oct. 29, 1958, to Mildred (Prouty) and Charles Williams in Bellows Falls, and was raised in Saxtons River.
Chris graduated from Bellows Falls Union High School in 1976, the bicentennial year. On April 22, 1978, she married Richard Sherwood. They had Sheradia in 1979, and Avery in 1983. Their marriage ended in 1998. In 2004, Chris met April Tibbetts, and they started dating. Finally, on Dec. 17, 2016, they were married. April came to the relationship with her daughter Sarah, which Chris welcomed with open arms. In 1999, Chris became a grandmother for the first time when her granddaughter Aleesia was born, and again in 2004 when Samantha was born. They were “Grammy’s girls,” and, as expected, she loved the role of grandmother. In 2016, when Sher started dating Ed, she opened her arms again, and became grandmother to Brayden and Christopher as well.
Chris was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. She was one of the sweetest people, and the biggest advocate for anyone that needed her, especially her son Avery, who had cerebral palsy. There was no limit to what she would do to make sure he had the best life he could, while still making sure everyone else was also getting everything they needed.
Chris loved to go biking, and fondly talked about a bike trip she went on with Upward Bound. Recently, she was talking about how they slept in a shed during that trip, and ended up cramped in there because it was pouring, and they brought all the bikes inside as well. She continued to ride bikes throughout her life, with her kids and then with April. As her health declined, she got an electric bike that enabled her to still ride, however she would still pedal most of the time. She was able to go on three bike rides this year due to some early beautiful days. Chris also enjoyed camping. Always camping when the kids were little, and continued this with April. All winter long she would talk about camping, and how the time wasn’t coming fast enough to go.
Chris worked in so many places throughout the area. She worked at IGA, Bellows Falls Trust Company, 5-C HeadStart, Merchants Bank, and Westminster Auto.
Chris was predeceased by her dad Charlie Williams, and her son Avery Sherwood. She is survived by her wife April Tibbetts of Bellows Falls; her mother Millie Williams of Bellows Falls; brothers John (Debbie) Williams of Saxtons River, Russ (Ronda) Williams of Saxtons River, and Roy (Barbara) Williams of Westminster; and sisters Linda (Leo) Fournier of Enfield, Conn., Sandra (Donnie) Nickerson of Conway, S.C., and Lisa (Richard) Higgins of Saxtons River. She is also survived by her daughter Sher and her husband Ed Sleeper of Hinsdale, N.H., stepdaughter Sarah and her husband Gary of New Gloucester, Maine, granddaughter Aleesia Joy and her fiance Jeremy Saysanam of Vernon, granddaughter Samantha Marie of Hinsdale, and grandsons Brayden Sleeper and Christopher (Cheri Abrams) Sleeper of Spofford. She is also survived by great- granddaughters Vaelynn and Lux, and great-grandsons Aidrix and Ezra. Chris is also survived by more cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles than we could ever count.
In lieu of flowers, we are asking people to donate to the Bellows Falls Community Bike Project, to help kids that may not be able to afford a bike or to have work done on their bikes. Please send these donations to BF Community Bike Project, P.O. Box 883, Bellows Falls, VT 05101. We believe that, with Chris’s love of bikes and of children, this is something she would be very excited about. She loved what this organization did for this community.
Calling hours will be May 4, 2024, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., at Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, Vt., with a Celebration of Life to follow at her brother Roy’s house.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home.