Events
Memorial Service
Larkin Mortuary Riverton 3688 West 12600 South, RivertonSaturday Feb 22, 2025 3:00 PM
My beautiful, sweet, loving, funny, witty, compassionate, talented and precious daughter Sjondel Marie Lavery, came into this world sooner than expected on 02/10/1991, and left this world the same way on 02/06/2025, leaving us broken hearted and devastated. Sjondel was so full of love and compassion, she had a way of looking outside the box to see a bigger picture. Sjondel’s wisdom and knowledge amazed me, a topic or question could be brought up, and she either knew the answer or would research until she had it. She had so many talents and gifts, many of which she taught herself, such as: playing the guitar, wood burning, jewelry making, crocheting, and so many more. She had the gift of a beautiful voice and would play her guitar and sing, her laugh was the cutest and sweetest sound ever. Sjondel loved her family and friends beyond words, and loved to do random little things to let them know. She’s a true daddy’s girl, her favorite thing to do was going fishing with her dad. She and her brother Colton have a special bond and loved just sitting and playing the guitar with him, she loved him deeply and dearly.
On January 04, 2014 Sjondel met the love of her life and new fishing partner in crime, Newel Hennick. She was so excited that he proposed to her on January 04, 2025, their 11 year first date anniversary. She was so excited to marry her sweetheart and start the next chapter of her life. Sjondel got to experience the feeling of true, unconditional love he gave her, and she gave the same to him, this in itself is a gift that many don’t ever get to experience in their lives. She is so missed and our hearts are broken, but we are so blessed to have been loved by my Missy Sjondel, my Murf Princess.
Sjondel had a passion in defending those who couldn’t be heard or seen. In honor of her please check out YouTube, CPP Women against Predators +2
This group of people are her second family and she loved them all dearly and passionately. The work they do is not easy, but Sjondel would tell me, "better them than others". This world is a better place because of Sjondel and the teams she worked with over the last few years.
You are so loved and missed Sjondel, but knowing you are with your dad brings us some comfort. I Love you and am so honored you chose me to be your Mom.
Sjondel is survived by her Mom Angie Bernardo Lavery, Brother Colton Lavery (Kaya), Fiance’ Newel Hennick, Grandpa and Grandma Bernardo (Jimmy and Sandra), Uncle Johnny Bernardo (Kathy), Aunt Marnie Rivera (Bernardo), Uncle Lawrence Lavery, Uncle Ryan Lavery (Celeste), Uncle Jim Lavery (Karen), and many cousins who she loved and had great memories of.
Sjondel was preceded in death by her dad Sjon Lavery, her great-great grandmother Cleta Boone Phoebus, great grandparents John L. and Maxine Green, and Toni and Fanny Bernardo, Godmother and aunt, Louise Bernardo, aunt Pat and uncle Bill Arnold, and her aunt Siri Lavery who was there when she was born.
With heartfelt gratitude and love, a special thank you to Johnny, Kathy and Lawrence for being there for Colton, Newel and myself at a time that came to soon, and our hearts became broken. Also, there are so many to mention, thank you for all the prayers, strength, support and kind words We love and appreciate you.
Guestbook/Condolences
I'm so sorry for your loss. Sjondel was kind, thoughtful, and brilliant. She asked me to the Sadie Hawkins dance our senior year, and I’ll always remember the fun and thoughtful date she planned. She had such a sweet smile, a sharp wit, and a way of making people feel heard and valued.
We knew each other throughout high school, and I remember how much the girls' basketball team loved and appreciated her as their team manager. She brought so much positivity and support to those around her.
Her presence in the world was a gift, and I’m so deeply sorry for your loss.
Angie; my heart ♥️ breaks for you. Your daughter was beautiful and was kind like her MOM. You have always been kind to me and I am sure she took after you in that way. SJON WAS ALSO SPECIAL AND THEIR REUNION, I’m sure is sweet. You and Colton are in my prayers, share the sweet memories you made together. Love you Angie! 🙏
My dearest friend,
You are terribly missed and so so loved, SJ! I wish I could hear your voice, laugh, or even listen to you sing just a few more times. May God bring peace and comfort to your beautiful family and friends during this time. I hope you’re catching up with your father up there and meeting mine. Gone way too soon but you will never be forgotten. So thankful I met you when I did because you’ve been the best big sister figure I’ve ever had! I love you to the moon and back. My heart breaks to type this message on here, I’ll keep in touch with Newel and your momma to make sure they are doing well. We miss and love you our sweet sweet girl! Until I see you again!
We were broken hearted when Newel called to tell us about Sjondel.
She has been such a blessing to our family. We love her and willl miss her deeply.
As Newel's mother, I am so thankfull for Sjondel, for loving Newel and taking care of him.
I could not believe that Newel had found a perfect match for him. They loved doing the same things from
fishing, camping, fixing cars and so much more. On one of their fishing trips an abandoned dog, who they named Dogde "found them." He became a part of their family.
Sjondel brought so much love and joy into Newel's life. He has truly lost his best friend.
My love and prayers are with you. Love, Anette (Hennick)
My Sweet Angie,
For Ever And Always,
Sjondel's adorable face smiles at me every time I sat down to visit with my Mom. Her sweet little baby face was always smiling over my mom's shoulder. She always kept her adorable picture right on her special bookshelf, she always had her own spot and that picture is still there right now this very minute even after a whole lot of cleaning needed to be done. We left Mom's spot the way it was with her pictures as she had them.
Because it's so hard to keep doing the same things while we're missing them so much.
And we have so much hope for what's coming next.
And then God says that this journey is complete, but I don't like that answer because how can He ask it?
. Sweet Angel, I'm around here somewhere if you'd like a walk or a talk or a change of scenery. I'll make you something to eat.
I love you very much.
Stefi
I remember Sjondel as being adventurous and having a quirky sense of humor. The cutest personality. And happy. So sorry for your loss. You and Colton are in our prayers. Love, Emma and family ❤️
I have memories of you and dad that have helped me through the hardest times in my life. I was there the day you caught your first fish with dad. i still remember the smiles and excitement on your face. Heck you could barely even walk at the time........
Even though our paths separated for some time so I could learn what I had to in life. I always remembered and cherished the memories we shared together.
Please take all my love with you and share it with dad. Tell him how much I miss you both now.
And we will be fishing together again soon.......
I love you Sjondel. And you will always be a daughter to me.
Angie, there are truly no words to express my deepest sympathies at this incredibly difficult time. Rest in peace beautiful soul.
We met SJ through her work with Women Against Predators. To say it was an honor to work with such an absolutely beautiful human, would be an understatement. She is a hero, she is my hero. Countless children have been saved from a lifetime of pain and struggle because SJ acted as a shield for them. Always such a light in the darkness... We love you SJ, we will try to honor you through our work. Rest Easy Beautiful Warrior Queen
Oh my sweet best friend. Sj.. I never thought we would be here. I never thought I would be writing on your wall with tears streaming down my face. I miss you. I miss you every day. I miss your "Its Me" . I have spent the last 5 years almost with you... every day .. all day. We have cried, Laughed, and so much more that I cant write on here. Your laughter was the best gift and highlight of my day. We have been thru so much ups and downs. We have saved HUNDREDS of kids together. We had so many dreams that I will make sure to follow thru on in your name. I pray you are smiling above and proud of us. Learning to do this without you has been hard. You were everywhere. in everything. apart of everything. I miss my partner in crime. I miss my late night IG scroller. Singing together. Your sweet soft melancholy voice. I just miss you! Listening to your service I was happy to see everyone show up. BUT where were they? The times you would sit and tell us how they all went away. I hope this shows that we never know when anyones time is up. Do not take a day for granted. SJ no matter who it was she would be there. I love you oodles and toodles. I promise to keep an eye on Newel and Angie for you. Give my baby Ann a hug for me
I miss u so much auntie Sj. my mom misses you alot. i hope you give a hug to tuffy and ginger for me
Kiddo, it has taken me a while to be able to write to you, but you know that we have been talking all along. You were like a daughter to me, and an amazing friend. Your amazing light touched everybody and everything around you. Your kind heart was a beacon for everybody that came across your path. Good times and bad, you always looked at the positives and clung to them to remind everybody that there IS good, even in darkness. We spent 15-20 hours every day, 7 days a week, together and the stories, memories, and laughs fill my heart. I am so proud to see the incredible person you were and how you kept growing. I am also blessed to see the tenacious side of you, never letting go until the mission was complete. Your passion for justice and righteousness was so strong and we spend countless nights together looking for the impossible and refusing to give up because we KNEW we could do it and there were real lives to save. Heck, we even flew to the UK and you wouldn't let me out of cargo! 🤣 BTW, nobody else gets my jokes or is here to laugh at my constant one-liners, and I don't know how I feel about that, they never understood us or appreciate my humor, sheesh! 🤣 Your time with us was WAY too short, but now you are guiding ALL of us and watching over. It has been so hard, but I am trying to pick up where you left off and I can only hope to keep striving for your level and make you proud. Thank you, my friend, for allowing me into your life, trusting and sharing with me, and making me a better person. I love you dearly and I know that you are happy now, with your Dad again, and cannot wait until I can see you again. Lord knows what WW2 stories and conspiracy theories you will have ready but I can't wait to hear them. I have to go now, you know that there is never enough time for fighting all the Evil in this world, and since my time here is limited, I promise to do as much as I can before that time is up. Rest easy, my friend, I have the watch now! 💙🤍💙
I first met Sjondel in elementary school. We probably spent every recess we had together using our wild imaginations to create various scenarios including one we called “desert island.” It was essentially a patch of sand for the bigger kids away from the jungle gym playground. I don’t quite recall every scenario we played out but I know we had fun and laughed and laughed. Sjondel was someone who had your back and looked out for the little guys. What a privilege it was to be her friend. As the years grew, she continued to be a loyal and kind acquaintance, typically reaching out first through social media to send a message. One correspondence had us thinking about funerals and death. We both expressed a desire to do better at telling the people we had how much they meant to us before it was too late. From that moment in 2008 and on, she never failed to express that love my way. How lucky am I! To her family I express my condolences and gratitude: you raised one heck of a woman! I can’t wait to give her a big old hug in heaven someday and express how much she meant to me.