Her husband, Dan Issel’s, job had taken them to Bel Air,
California, where she made a friend who happened to have
some unused art supplies stored in her garage. On a whim,
they took out the brushes and paints and began meeting
weekly by her pool. A few years later, the friends ventured
into an art gallery in Palm Desert, California.
“The owner asked to see some of my work
and wanted to feature me as a guest artist in
his gallery on El Paseo Drive,” Issel said. “He
wanted colorful renditions of animal faces
and that led me to the type of art I enjoy. It
was a great experience; I sold a few paintings
and got up the courage to continue down that
path.”
Cheri found herself making a new career
out of what had started merely as time spent
talking with a friend.
“We basically taught ourselves and enjoyed
conversation and advice on beautiful sunny
California days,” Issel said. “Never in a million
years did I plan to do any more than that.”
Yet Cheri knew from as far back as college
that decisions made on a whim can have a lasting
impact.
When the Lexington-native graduated from
Lafayette High School in 1966, the Beatles
were topping the charts with Day Tripper, UK
basketball coach Adolph Rupp was prepping
for his 36th Wildcat team, and Cheri was busy
completing her enrollment forms for the UK
College of Education, where she would major
in physical education with a minor in biological
sciences.
It was an exciting time in her young life, punctuated
by receiving news her tryout for the UK
cheerleading squad had been successful.
Cheri was a lifelong UK fan (she grew up
attending games with her father) and her
family’s ties to UK are part of its rich history – her mother
sewed the body of the suit the very first Wildcat mascot ever
wore in 1968.
Also enrolling at UK in the fall of 1966 was a 6-foot-9
basketball player from Batavia, Illinois. On the court, Dan
Issel was soon averaging 25.7 points per game and would be
named an All-American for two of the three seasons he was
eligible for the award. His career points total remains the
highest among UK men’s players.
Following a game in Georgia their sophomore year, Dan
approached Cheri. He wanted to know if he could give her a
ride home when they returned to Lexington.
“I think we were together most every day or night after
that,” Cheri said. “We were engaged when we were juniors
and married before our senior year. It was a fairy tale,
a dream come true. My time at UK included probably
some of the best years of our life. UK fans are some of the
loudest and most supporting. I remember being in awe of
the enthusiasm and response to our cheers and the players’
actions on and off the court. Athletics (and all that goes with
COE COMMUNICATOR | MARCH 2015
it) became what I lived and breathed during those years.
UK boosters and fans treated us like royalty, and we will
never forget that! It was a very exciting experience and I was
blessed to be in the heart of it all!”
The next chapter of the Issels’ life took them to Louisville,
where Dan signed to play in the ABA with the Kentucky
Colonels.
“What fun those five years were,” Cheri said. “We built
our dream house and planned to live in it the rest of our
lives. Our daughter, Sheridan, was born there and life was
good.”
Dan was traded after winning the ABA championship. The
family moved to Denver, where Dan played in the NBA for
the Denver Nuggets for 10 years. Their son Scott was born
there.
During Dan’s 15-year professional playing career, Cheri
balanced motherhood and was involved in many charities,
served on many boards, and chaired many fundraising
events. She also went back to school and took classes in
interior design.
“We moved from house to house, and I loved to decorate
them,” she said. “My sense for color, creativity and design
blossomed then. Later I believe that led to my success as an
artist. I believe we have lived in 21 houses through all these
years!”
Through it all, family remained deeply important.
Although they owned a horse farm in Versailles for a few
see ISSEL, page 17
11