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MTC Turf News – Written by, The officers, board members, and advisors to the MTC

The MTC Annual Turfgrass 2022 Conference & Trade Show is Dedicated to: 

Cheryl A. Gaultney

March 14, 1951  —  June 26, 2022

On Sunday June 26, 2022, the MTC suffered a significant loss when we lost our secretary of 46 years, Cheryl A. Gaultney, who had also served as our treasurer for 41 of those years before being called home to be with her Lord and Maker.

But more importantly we all lost a pillar to the entire turfgrass industry, a guide, an aide to all, and a very dear friend and supporter to all!

Back in 1972 the MTC was formed by the golf course superintendents and the sod farmers, with the help of the University of MD Turfgrass Professionals and those of the State Board of Agriculture to promote quality turf usage and environmentally sound turfgrass management practices, plus support the turfgrass research at the university and promote the use of MD Certified Sod.

In January 1975 we had our first MTC Annual Winter Turfgrass Conference at the Sheraton in Landover. It was a chilly trade show in the outside parking garage, but it was a great success.

Cheryl missed our first Winter Conference but was introduced to the MTC Board at the first board meeting in 1975 by her stepfather, John Strickland, who was the owner of Egypt Farms and where Cheryl worked with her mom, Veronica (Woppman) Strickland as a secretary and dispatcher.

Cheryl was a married young lady when she came to us, having met the love of her life Basil (Hicks) Gaultney one evening in 1971 while at a social club. This union made by God resulted in a beautiful daughter Kellye and three fantastic grandchildren Kenzie, Trystan, and Dalton. Cheryl was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt and friend who was happiest when spending time with others.

Cheryl grew up in Perry Hall, Maryland and was still active with her graduating class.

She was a 40+ year member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church where she served in various roles, most notably in the church’s youth program including Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and organizing the college care program for students studying away from home. Cheryl and Basil often opened their home for the youth program of the church.

But we as members of the MTC, and especially those who had the pleasure of serving as an officers or as members of the board of directors with Cheryl over the last 46 years, remember Cheryl as always having a smile, a kind word and even the occasional hug. She was a pillar not only to the MTC but to the entire turfgrass industry in Maryland. It made little difference whether we were sponsoring a multi-day conference at the Convention Center in Baltimore or University of Maryland Field Days, or a MTC sponsored Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicator License Recertification Program, you could bet Cheryl was there not just running registration, but she was the anchor that caused many of these events to be so successful.  As a board member recently said after her death, “It will just not be the same having MTC events and not have Cheryl there.”  I’m certain that Cheryl will always be looking down from heaven making sure all runs smoothly.

Cheryl was extremely organized and was a walking library anytime a question or concern was raised in our monthly board of directors meetings, Cheryl either knew the answer or knew where to find the answer. Cheryl was elected secretary/treasurer in January 1975 and served right up until her death. She turned over the financial books and the position of treasurer just five years ago, wanting to remain on the board as secretary.

Prior to Covid, when we were meeting monthly, usually at MDA, Cheryl would always make sure we had a snack, occasionally homemade, and a cold drink to get through the 4pm meetings to hold us from starvation until we could get home or go to a local restaurant to relax and have dinner instead of fighting rush hour traffic.

Charter Member, Past MTC President (2003–2004), and previous employee of Egypt Farms, Dave Cammarota said of Cheryl, “She was just amazing in her talents, and I can’t imagine what life would have been like without her input, kindness, and assistance to me as President and all the others with whom she served on the board of directors. The passing of Cheryl Gaultney has been a major shock to me and many of her associates when we learned of her death. She will be sorely missed!”

Cheryl has gone on to spend eternity with her Lord and Maker, but she certainly has touched more individuals than we will ever know about, but we will be thinking of her often. She will never be forgotten as long as we, her friends and loved ones, are still on this earth. We are all blessed for knowing her.