Cheré Louise Mort

Cheré Louise Mort                                 September 8, 2025  Cheré Louise Mort, 76, of Gordonsville, Virginia, passed away on September 8, 2025.
Born on June 8, 1949, in Medford, Oregon, she was the daughter of the late James and Rosemary Kelley. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her grandparents Homer and Martha Davis and Paul and Buela Kelley.

Cheré had strong roots in her faith. She grew up surrounded by the church, with grandparents who lived their beliefs daily — her grandfather served as a deacon, and her grandmother taught Sunday School.

Cheré was a whirlwind — outspoken, compassionate, outgoing, fun-loving, and always in motion. She was a second mother not only to her grandchildren but also to the children of close friends. Some affectionately called her “Mrs. Grouch,” but beneath that tough exterior was someone softhearted and loyal who would do anything for her family and friends.

Summers at Grandma’s were legendary — sometimes a week, sometimes the whole season — full of adventures, laughter, and the kind of simple joys her grandchildren still treasure today.

When John joined the Air Force in 1971, Cheré jokingly called herself a “camp follower,” as the family moved every few years across the world. Assignments took them to Japan, New Mexico, Crete, Denver, West Berlin, Virginia, and Panama — and in every place, Cheré left her mark.

She never sat quietly on the sidelines. Cheré threw herself into each community as a Cub Scout leader, youth sports coach, women’s club member, and ultimately president. She broke the mold of what was expected of an officer’s wife at the time — showing up to meetings in Levi’s, refusing to play the status games, then dazzling at formal events in her own classy way. She was a leader before her time.

Cheré is survived by her husband, John C. Mort; her sons, John Mort Jr. (Cristy) and Nathan Mort (Shannah); her brother, Jim Kelley (Donna); her sisters, Vicki Griffin (Mike) and Penny Costan (Ken); and her 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held on September 19 from 6:00–8:00 PM at Preddy Funeral Home in Gordonsville. The funeral service will be held on September 20 at 1:00 PM at Preddy Funeral Home, with a Celebration of Life to follow. Interment will take place privately at a later date in the Culpeper National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Piedmont: https://hopva.org/ways-to-give/