Cheryl passed away on her birthday, October 14, 2023, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born in Maine, raised in Woolrich, PA, lived in Winchester, VA, and spent many years in Fairfax, VA. Most recently she lived in Golden Beach, MD, with her husband of 50 years, Fred Heppner. Cheryl, who was profoundly deaf from the age of 7, was mainstreamed through school and graduated from Penn State University in 1974 with a BA in Journalism. It was there that she met her future husband, Fred. Cheryl was preceded in death by her father, Ernest McIntosh, and her mother, Norma McIntrosh of Pleasant Gap, PA. She is survived by her sister, Gayle Gepert of Golden Beach, MD, and her brothers Randall McIntosh of Mill Hall, PA, and David McIntrosh of Baltimore, MD. Cheryl was the Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC) for 25 years before her health declined. She worked tirelessly for the rights and needs of people who were deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deafblind. She often testified before the FCC and helped pass legislation pertaining to TV captioning and other accessibility rights for people with hearing loss. After 9/11, Cheryl was instrumental in co-authoring a national study for the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network, highlighting the needs of people who were deaf and hard of hearing in emergency situations. She served a term on Gallaudet University’s Board of Trustees in 2006. Through her unwavering leadership, NVRC became one of the top 5 centers for the deaf and hard of hearing in the U.S.
Prior to becoming NVRC’s Executive Director, Cheryl was a dedicated outreach specialist for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and she taught Pidgin Signed English at Shenandoah University. A devout advocate for ‘whatever works!” in communication, she was also fluent in sign language and speechreading.
Cheryl was named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women at their Best in 2000. Her memoir, Seeds of Disquiet: One Deaf Woman’s Experience, was published in 1992. A widely-read author of hundreds of magazine articles and an avid contributor to List- serves, Cheryl was the recipient of numerous awards from organizations serving the deaf and hard of hearing community, including the Hearing Loss Association of America, Hamilton Relay, Association of Late-Deafened Adults, and Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.
During a special event at the White House in the early 2000s, Cheryl was photographed with George W. Bush, a dog-lover and an owner of Goldens. The President was drawn to Cheryl’s hearing dog, Galaxy, and was curious about what a hearing dog is trained to do. During the Obama administration, Cheryl was invited to the White House again, to attend the signing of the 21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act.
A celebration of her life is planned for Sunday, November 19, 2023, from 2-4pm at
NVRC, 10467 White Granite Drive, Suite 312, in Oakton, VA 22124. Donations in
memory of Cheryl can be made to the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC).