Former Alpharetta Council Member Dies From Cancer

ALPHARETTA, GA — Cheryl Ann Oakes, who served on the Alpharetta City Council from 2007 to 2011, died in Lakewood Ranch, Florida on Nov. 29 from cancer.

A former resident of Alpharetta’s Windward Neighborhood, Oakes won her seat on City Council championing a platform focused on public safety and enhancing the quality of life of all residents. As a community leader recognized for creating the largest, most successful Neighborhood Watch program in the city, she had worked closely with Alpharetta's first responders and knew the challenges they faced.

During her tenure on city council, Oakes championed the development of a new, state-of-the-art 911 center that helped to reduce emergency response times and set the stage for incorporating new technologies like text to 911 and the Smart 911 data system.

Oakes also supported numerous infrastructure projects, from key bridge replacements and intersection improvements to the construction of miles of new sidewalks throughout Alpharetta, that helped to improve mobility and reduce travel delays.

“Cheryl loved Alpharetta and made a positive and lasting mark on our community and those around her,” Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said in a news release. “Her service, both as an elected official and as a community volunteer, is something for which I and those who worked with her at the city are very much thankful.”

A memorial service for Oakes is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at The Chapel at Harborside Christian Church in Safety Harbor, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, her family requested donations to her lifelong favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, on her behalf.

According to her obituary, Oakes is survived by her husband of 28 years, Paul; her children William Morris, Melissa Arnoldi and Laurianne Jackson; and her bonus children Joshua and Daniel Oakes. She is also a grandmother to nine grandchildren: Trey, Mitchell and Levi Morris; Alexis and Sophia Arnoldi; Wyatt and Alexandra Jackson; Brayden and Evelyn Oakes, who all lovingly called her Nena.