Cynthia Margaret “Cindy” Cherry, daughter of long-time Hockey Night in Canada host Don, passed away recently at the age of 67.
She was Don’s oldest kid and lone daughter. An obituary posted to the Turner and Porter Funeral Directors website describes her passing, which happened on July 15, as “unexpected.”
“She was dearly loved by her son Del (Caroline Lyczek), and his father Roger,” continues the obituary. “Much loved daughter of Don and the late Rose. Dear sister of Tim (Ling), and aunt of Grace.”
The memorial also calls for donations to be made in Cindy’s memory to Don Cherry’s Pet Rescue Foundation. She was a founder of the organization and very involved throughout her life.
“My goal in life, is to do for Animals Issues what he does for hockey,” reads a blog post made by Cindy on the website.
Her passion for helping others was evident from a young age, as she donated a kidney to her brother Tim just after graduating from college.
“I had the opportunity to help Tim get his health back on track and let me tell you, if there was anything I could do to help him, no questions asked, I was going to do it,” she said.
Cindy worked with The Kidney Foundation of Canada for more than a decade, per her LinkedIn.
Don is one of the most recognizable faces in hockey as the longtime host of Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada. He held the position for nearly 40 years until he was fired by Sportsnet for xenophobic comments made on the broadcast.
Before he was on television, Don enjoyed a long career as an NHL head coach, leading the Boston Bruins to two Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens both times.
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