Anna Teresa (Bakita) Cherry

     The world was robbed on Thursday, October 27, 2022, of a tough, talented, loving, lively, clever, creative, stubborn yet sweet soul … as Anna Theresa Cherry of Columbus, Ohio, formerly of Bannister, MI, just three weeks, shy of her 53rd birthday; made the reluctant but most certainly personal decision to allow herself to be freed of the pain, fear and degradation descended upon her physical body by a cruel disease.  An evil illness that mistakenly thought it had the last word, quite prematurely claiming the upper hand with plans to conquer her months and months and months earlier. And it cannot be said Anna “lost” her fight with cancer. Nothing could be further from the truth. She just finally had had enough. She left this planet firmly on her terms. Exactly the way everyone who loved her knew it would play out.
     Anna Cherry never let herself be bested. But not out of ego, never smacked of hubris. Refused to allow her dignity diminished even in the face of death. Her successes were products of proper poise peppered with a portion of perfection, pride and propriety. 
     But there was so, so much more to Anna. Love of life; love of family; love of a radio career that spanned four decades, from her small-town radio program at Ovid-Elsie Area Schools where she first cracked open the microphone at age 13. 
     Anna grew up in Bannister, MI.  She graduated from Ovid-Elsie Area Schools, with the class of 1987.   Anna’s career took her around the United States, beginning at age 13, where she established her humble beginnings at WOES Radio at Ovid-Elsie High School.  From there she made a tremendous leap to a nearby medium market, to the most-listened to radio station in Lansing, WITL Radio.  From there she moved around, as radio nomads tend to do.  She worked as a lively helicopter traffic reporter in Chicago.  Then took gigs in Columbus and Atlanta. She freelanced for a New York-based operation and also for CNN.  She and her husband Steve established a company called Slip Cued, providing online radio/DJ services.
     She is survived by her husband Steve of Columbus, Ohio; sons: Sky Bakita of Ashley, MI; and Alistair Cherry of Columbus, Ohio; two step-sons: Sean Cherry of Tuscan, AZ; and Bryan Cherry (Serena Weikart) and their children; son Augusten and daughter Vera Cherry of Marysville, Ohio.  She is also survived by her mother, Karen Bakita of Bannister, MI; her siblings: William (Debra) Shinn of Clinton, MI; Thomas (Razlita) Bakita of Gilroy, CA; Kathryn (Daniel) Seip of DeWitt, MI; Rebecca Bakita (Marty Glynn) of West Palm Beach, FL.  She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her father James Bakita and her in-laws Albert and Eunice Cherry. 
     Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, MI, on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Zella Daniel officiating. Burial will take place at Ford Cemetery, Elba Township, MI. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, from 5-8 P.M. at the funeral home. 

      Online condolences will be made at www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com.  The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, Michigan.