Celebrating the Amazing Life of Sheri Ayn Brantingham Millhollin
I am writing this article with tears flowing and heart aching because it honors the full life of our daughter Sheri Ayn Brantingham Millhollin who lost a two and a half year valiant battle with a rare and aggressive cancer. Sheri was devoted to her husband, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and parents. She loved planning family events and brought endless energy to every family gathering. During most of her last two and a half years, I was blessed to share Friday walks with her and her sister, Laurie, along the Carson River, at Spooner and Marlette Lakes. She walked and did aerobics no matter how awful she felt after traveling to Arizona for her six hour chemo infusions. Sheri passed away peacefully at her home in Reno on Oct. 31 at the age of 63 surrounded by family. She set foot in this world as a little dynamo and never let up until she was finally called away. Her biography would fill an entire volume, so I must exercise much brevity here.
Sheri was born in Carson City on Nov. 27, 1961, and grew up in the small town of Dayton, Nev. At 9 years old, she joined 4-H in Dayton and was actively involved from elementary through her high school years, eventually becoming a “teen leader”. Sheri did so well that when she was 18, she was selected above 300 others, with just one in four nationwide selected, to represent Nevada at a Washington D.C. Leadership Conference, where she met President Carter.
In the 1970's, Dayton was a small town without a high school, so Sheri attended Carson High School where she was a member of the Cross Country team. She graduated in 1979 and enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno on the E.J. Questa 4-H Scholarship, where she joined the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She participated in UNR’s first Women’s Cross Country team and began her career of pushing the envelope to expand the barriers to women's opportunities in sports.
After graduation from UNR with a degree in Home Economics, Sheri earned
her teaching credentials. Before long, she met and married David Millhollin, a teacher at the Dayton Intermediate/High School. Dave and Sheri moved to California where she began her successful teaching and coaching career. Once again Sheri was breaking barriers. A long article in the Sacramento Bee entitled "Millhollin Labors Against Stereotypes” tells the story of how she went into labor and continued to coach her high school boys’ basketball team even after her water broke during the game. She coached her team to victory and then went to the hospital to deliver her son just hours later. For thirty-four years, Sheri coached Boy’s Freshmen and Junior Varsity basketball teams. She also coached both high school girls’ and boys’ volleyball while teaching Home Economics, Health and Child Development. During these years, Sheri generously gave her time to mentor and coach children of all ages, including her own children, nieces and nephews. After 38 years of teaching and coaching, Sheri and her husband Dave moved back to her home state of Nevada, but she had also just been diagnosed with cancer. She would tell other women, if you have groin pain and complain; yet no one listens, it is possible you have cancer.
The day after Sheri's passing, her sister Nicole posted a remembrance of her on
Facebook that captures the woman Sheri was. Here is part of that post:
“For the past two and a half years, she has fought with such grace, strength, and
dignity, even during the hardest, painful days. Her faith was strong and unwavering. She was one of the most caring, energetic, selfless, giving, dedicated, fun and extraordinary women I have ever known. She gave everything to everyone and always tenfold. Sheri was always so full of life and bravery that she breathed life and joy into everyone she met along her earthly journey. Sheri truly was dynamic like no other. Our oldest brother Darrell reminded us to thank God who gave us Sheri as a gift and to remember how fortunate we still are to have had her in our lives for she will always be alive in our hearts.”
Sheri's spirit drifted away on Nevada Day shortly after darkness had fallen and at
exactly the same time across the state of Nevada, the skies were erupting with music and fireworks. What beauty she must have seen as she left.
Sheri is survived by her husband David Millhollin, daughter Shasta Millhollin, son Cruise Millhollin (significant other, Casey McKenzie), and son Tyus Millhollin; three grandchildren, Chloe, Covee, and Blaze; her parents, Laura and Stony Tennant; her siblings, Darrell Brantingham (Lori), Laurie Crom (Sean), Matthew Brantingham (Tracy), Melissa Nitta (Russ) and Nicole, and many other beloved nieces and nephews.
There will be two celebrations of life held in her honor:
1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2026, 8 at Green Valley Church in Placerville, CA and
1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at the Dayton Community Center in Dayton, NV
