Sherri Lynn Ransom Salinas was born November 4, 1966 in Beckley, West Virginia to the late Roger Lee Ransom and Juanita Persinger Ransom. Sherri passed away on Monday June 1, 2026 at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

She was raised in Eccles, WV where she attended Liberty High School and graduated in 1984. After starting her family, Sherri earned an Associates of Arts Degree in Business from University of Phoenix. She also earned a Bachelors of Business Management from Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. Sherri faithfully served as the Financial Administrator at First Baptist Church, Lexington, NC for 14 years. In serving in this capacity, she helped so many people affiliated with First Baptist Church, including the Martha Best Children’s Center, with a servant’s heart. She also wrote the Dispatch Churchland Coummunity Column for many years.

Sherri was truly everything to everyone. She was a steady source of comfort, guidance and love, always ready to listen, help and show up when people needed her most. She had a way of knowing exactly what to say or do, and when she did not have the answer, she would do everything in her power to find it. She gave so much of herself to others, not because she had to, but because that was simply who she was.

She was the matriarch of her family in every sense of the word. She was strong, loving, protective, honest and fiercely loyal. Sherri was unwavering in her love and protection of her family, and that strength could be felt by everyone around her. She was never afraid to speak the truth, offer guidance or step in when someone she loved needed her. Her strength and honesty were rooted in love, and her family always knew she was in their corner. She loved hard, protected harder and always made sure the people she cared about knew they were never alone.

Sherri had a way of lighting up any room she walked into. She was silly, goofy, funny and full of life, with a laugh and personality that made people feel instantly welcome. She could make you laugh, make you feel loved and make even the simplest moments feel special. She had a heart that was soft for the people she loved and a strength that made those same people feel safe.

Her family was the greatest love of her life. More than anything, Sherri loved her husband, her daughter and especially her grandchildren. She adored her grandchildren deeply, and they were truly the light of her life. Nothing brought her more joy than talking about them, loving on them and making memories with them. She loved baking with them, doing crafts with them, spending time with them and making memories they will carry with them forever.

Sherri loved her husband, Joseph, with every ounce of her heart. Their love was built not only in the big moments, but in the simple everyday ones — sitting together on the couch at night, watching their favorite shows, laughing, talking and simply being together. The life they shared was filled with love, comfort and devotion, and the bond between them was something truly special.

Sherri also shared a very special bond with her best friend of 40 years, Donna Lester. Their friendship was more than just a friendship — it was a sisterhood built through decades of love, laughter, support, memories and life’s ups and downs. Donna was a constant in Sherri’s life, and the love they shared was a beautiful part of who Sherri was.

She loved to travel and had a goal of visiting all 50 states, a goal she was not far from reaching. She loved to sew, even though life did not always give her as much time for it as she wanted. She loved crafts, reading, family time and anything that brought the people she loved together.

Sherri was the type of person who would call to check on you when you were sick, even if she was sick herself. She worried about everyone, cared for everyone and showed her love in a thousand little ways. Her love was not just spoken; it was felt in her actions, her phone calls, her advice, her production, her laughter and the way she showed up for people again and again.

To be loved by Sherri was to be loved completely. She made the people around her feel stronger, braver and more sure of themselves. She taught those she loved to stand up for themselves, to never settle for less than they deserved and to keep becoming the best version of themselves. She showed that strength and softness could exist in the same person, and that a loving heart could still be bold, honest and unshakable.

One of the greatest compliments anyone could give her daughter is to call her “Little Sherri.” It means she carries her mother’s strength, heart, fire, love and spirit. That is the kind of legacy Sherri leaves behind — not just memories, but pieces of herself living on in the people who loved her most.

Sherri was preceded in death by her In-Laws, Larry and Harriet Morgan. She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved husband, Joseph Salinas of the home; her daughter, Rachel Salinas (Gunnar Rojas) of Zebulon, NC; a son, Jackson Salinas of Lexington; five grandchildren: Kason, Kayden, Katherine, Khloe and Kolins; a brother, Roger Lee Ransom II of West Virginia; a sister, Stacey Ransom Reamy and husband Monroe of Lexington, NC; nephews, Michael Ransom (Crystal Ransom) and Tyler Reamy (Makayla Swicegood); and Father-In-Law: Joe Salinas who resides in Texas. She also leaves behind several cousins, nieces, nephews, long-time friends and several beloved in-laws.

A service to honor and celebrate Sherri’s life will be held on Saturday, June 13th, 2026 at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Lexington, North Carolina. Family and friends are invited to gather, share memories and celebrate the life of a woman who meant so much to so many.

Sherri’s life ended far too soon, but the love she gave will never end. She will be deeply missed, endlessly loved and carried forever in the hearts of her family, friends and everyone blessed enough to know her.