It is with overwhelming sadness and broken hearts that we share the news Cheryl Dawn House (neé Tyska) passed away on July 14 2025, two days after her 62nd birthday.
Cheryl Dawn Tyska was born on July 12, 1963 in St Joseph's Hospital in Port Arthur to Eila and Donald Tyska. She attended St. James Public School, and Lakeview High School.
Cheryl grew up just around the corner from Boulevard Lake on Helen Street in her family home with her seven siblings and her parents. Like many children of WWII veterans, Cheryl grew up in difficult times, but found ways to enjoy life and live it fully. Countless hours were spent up at Boulevard Lake swimming, playing with the neighbourhood kids, her best friends and her cousins. She was the oldest of her generation of siblings, and took great care of younger siblings Mary Anne and Steven, while looking up to older siblings Brian, Marty, Linda, Gary and Donny.
Cheryl excelled at many artistic ventures, whether it was drawing, singing, or playing the guitar which she learned later in life. She handmade amazing costumes for dance and for Halloween. She was highly intelligent - you didn't have to explain anything twice to her, she could pick up new languages very easily, and she seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to understanding people. Cheryl was ahead of her time and loved to capture special family moments through photographs and videos that will be cherished forever. She was also a skilled athlete, playing a variety of sports and was a particularly good runner on the Athletics Northwest running team in her younger years. Cheryl was a one of a kind character with a hilarious sense of humour- she was unapologetically silly and had a distinct, unrestrained way of laughing that was truly infectious. She had a nickname for everything - and only a select few could speak her language.
Cheryl worked for many years as a Beauty Advisor at Shoppers Drug Mart prior to having her three children, Gillian, Georgia and James House. She had a knack for helping other people look their best, and had endless knowledge when it came to makeup, colour coordination, skin tones and more. Once she had her kids, she was a full-time mom, never missing a sporting event, school concert, or field trip, diligently packing lunches and getting everyone out the door in the morning, having lunch made for anyone who wanted to come home, and being there to receive them every day after school. Amazingly, she decided to go back to school herself while her kids were all young - a challenge not everyone would take on!
With much strength and determination, Cheryl graduated from Lakehead University in 2005 with a Bachelor's degree in both Psychology and Education, and earned her teaching certificate, all while raising three young kids throughout all those years.
Cheryl worked in a variety of careers and industries over the years, including retail, childcare, hospitality, education and more - but her greatest accomplishment was loving and raising her three children to be the best people they could be. She dedicated her life to making sure their needs were met, and they had their mother by their side at home for many years of their upbringing.
Cheryl and her partner Keith were together for almost 30 years, and together they did many family activities over the years with Cheryl's three children and Keith's two children Karen and Jeffrey, who Cheryl loved and treated as her own. Some of the best memories were family camping trips to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, fishing trips at Shebandowan, mini putt at Boulevard Lake, and countless holidays and special occasions spent at their house on Gordon Avenue. Plus, who could forget the family road trip across Canada to Alberta to visit her sister Mary Anne and family - with all five kids sharing the bench seat in the back of Keith's white van, and multiple sightseeing opportunities along the way.
As life went on, Cheryl had the honour of becoming a grandmother, better known as "Gramby" to her treasured grandchildren. She had a large role in the upbringing of her grandson Gabriel, and they remained very close up until her passing. Gramby, Keith and Gabriel were a little trio- spending their time together attending a variety of community events, playing endlessly in the backyard, swimming at the creek, playing scrabble, quizzing each other with trivia and watching shows together. She was also a grandmother to Aubrey, Kendall, Rylee, Grace and Alice, and although most of her grandchildren lived elsewhere, she was just a quick video chat away, and had the chance to spend time with them over the years during visits.
In 2024, Cheryl traveled to the Netherlands and Ireland to celebrate the wedding of her daughter Georgia and son-in-law Patrick. In the Netherlands, she wandered the vibrant streets of Amsterdam, visited the Van Gogh Museum, and strolled through the breathtaking Keukenhof Gardens filled with tulips, her favourite flower. In Ireland, Cheryl fell in love with the charm of the local pubs, explored the historic halls of Trinity College, and joyfully dipped her feet into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. She wore a pair of dazzling blue gowns for the wedding and reception at Castle Blunden, danced the night away, and sparkled under the full moon light.
Cheryl is survived by her common law husband, Keith Nason, her children Gillian House (Joe Clark), Georgia House (Patrick Marshall), James House (Moxy Dickson), her step children Karen Nason (David Sanchez) and Jeffrey Nason (Jordan Bourgeois) , her grandson Gabriel House-Tittaferrante, granddaughters Aubrey Winter, Kendall Nason, Rylee Nason, Grace Clark and Alice Clark. She is also survived by her siblings Donald Tyska (Frances), Gary Tyska, Linda Ferris (Lorne), Marty Tyska (Denise), and Mary Anne Huard, her beloved cat Kush Kush, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends.
She was predeceased by her parents Donald and Eila Tyska, brothers Brian and Steven Tyska, nephews Johnny and Brendan Tyska, sister Susan in infancy, father and mother in-law Lenard and Irene Nason, and sister-in-law Wendy Nason.
The family would like to thank all the doctors, nurses, and staff at the TBRHSC and Toronto General Hospital, as well as the highly professional and caring crew from Ornge. We are so grateful for your compassion, expertise and bedside manner during this difficult time.
We'd love for you to join us as we honour and remember Cheryl on Friday August 15th from 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm at the Brew Pub, 23 Cumberland St S, Thunder Bay. Doors open at 4:00 pm, service begins at 5:00 pm, and appetizers will be served at around 6:00 pm. If possible, RSVP to let us know if you'll be able to attend by August 1 to allow us to determine catering needs via email at [email protected].
We will carry you with us forever.
