The funeral for Cheri Chiaratti will take place:

Nov. 20, 1 p.m. at New Song Church on D Street

Reception will take place after funeral at Kim’s Country Kitchen

Longtime Lincoln resident Cheri Chiaratti , 55, died unexpectedly Tuesday morning.

Funeral services for Chiaratti will at 1 p.m. Nov. 20 at New Song Church on D Street. There will be a reception after the funeral at Kim’s Country Kitchen. Everyone is welcome to attend the funeral and reception.

“She’s truly going to be missed by customers and co-workers,” said Kim Strong, Kim’s Country Kitchen owner.

Strong said Chiaratti and her husband, Ken, were a big part of Kim’s Country Kitchen, where Chiaratti was a cook at the restaurant and “made all of our specials.”

Chiaratti was an active Lincoln community member, especially with the Police Activities League program.

“Cheri started the PAL program with me in 1997 and has been full-go involved with it until Monday afternoon,” said Lincoln Police Department Lt. Paul Shelgren. “Monday afternoon, we were talking about plans with the Christmas party.”

Shelgren said Chiaratti would often call him on his way home from work and they would talk about “what we were going to do next, our next plan.”

“She is just a fantastic lady, and put her heart and soul into everything she did,” Shelgren added. “We go on now and everything we do we’ll be thinking about her.”

Diana Burke from Simple Pleasures said Chiaratti has left a definite impression on the community and that she will leave a legacy.

“I really loved her,” Burke said. “I know something that has touched me over time is that you could always count on her saying exactly what was on her mind and being honest with you.”

Burke also said Chiaratti was “willing to jump in and help with causes and events that she cared about” and was known as Mama Cheri to Lincoln youth who “did not have parental role models.”

“Cheri devoted her life to volunteer activities that supported the youth in our community,” Mayor Spencer Short said. “It’s a terrible loss, she really had a heart for service and she will be missed.”