Cherry, Naomi, 1924-2014

Taken from her obituary on Las Vegas Review Journals' site: "NAOMI CHERRY Naomi Cherry, of Las Vegas, passed away Feb. 21, 2014, after a long and joyful life. She was 89 years of age and a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She leaves behind a devoted family and wonderful friends gathered over a lifetime. Born Dec. 1, 1924, in St. Louis, to parents, Abe and Jenny (nee Pollock) Barg, she was the eldest of five siblings, loved to dance and graduated from Soldan High School. Known for her sharp skills as a businesswoman, Naomi was experienced in retail sales and management and helped establish a series of discount stores around the country. She enjoyed a successful career as a public relations and advertising executive and, later in life, as a real estate agent with Century 21. In 1968, Naomi moved to Las Vegas to work at retailer Wonder World (WOW) where she managed public relations and advertising for four area stores and worked alongside her dear friend WOW President Herb Kaufman. Her marketing savvy helped WOW maintain its success through the early 80's. Son, Michael, and late daughter-in-law, Rachel (nee Wilson) Cherry, followed her to Las Vegas in 1970. She lived for many years with her brother-in-law, Jerome Baum, late sister, Geraldine, and nephew, Jay, in a home that became a gathering place for friends and entertainers. Naomi spent the last years of her life as a resident of Willow Creek at San Martin assisted living, where she enjoyed making new friends and was known for her sharp wit, love of card games and outgoing personality. She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Maurine Moss and Geraldine Baum; brother, Nathan Barg; and former husband, Leroy Cherry. She is survived by her sister, Charlotte Cohen and brother-in-law, Dr. Marvin Cohen of St. Louis; son, the Honorable Michael Cherry of Las Vegas; son and daughter-in-law, Lawrence and Pam Cherry of St. Louis; grandchildren, Meryl (Cherry) Thornton, David Cherry, Brett Cherry, Todd Cherry, Alec Cherry and Lauren Cherry; and great-grandchildren, Liam and Hayden Thornton and Drew and Jace Cherry. Naomi was active in the Jewish community and was a member of Temple Beth Sholom, Congregation Ner Tamid and Hadassah. She was recognized for her charitable work on behalf of the American Cancer Society and other organizations."