About Cheryl

Hello District 98!

My name is Cheryl Smith and I am running to represent you in the Virginia House of Delegates..

The Navy brought me to Virginia Beach in 1975 when my dad, Rod Bubeck, took command of A-6 squadron VA-85. Before that, my brothers, Chip and Craig, and I were bounced around the country to various Navy bases, like most military families. My mom, Mac Bubeck, was a nurse and the “best mom ever”. From her I learned perseverance, commitment to caring for neighbors, friends,and family, MANNERS, and that women could also be superheroes.

I spent my days outdoors, swam competitively for ODAC and graduated from First Colonial HS.

After graduating from James Madison University (go Dukes!) I moved back to the beach and have been here ever since.

I was so lucky to have a career that I loved and was truly passionate about. I taught for 38 years in Chesapeake Public Schools. Throughout that time I was able to work with every grade level K-12, but spent most of my time teaching elementary Physical Education, my absolute favorite age group! (nothing is more fun than playing Hula Hut Wars with a bunch of 3rd graders) I also worked pools in the summer and coached summer league swim teams, ran summer volleyball camps, was the head volleyball coach at Landstown HS (go Eagles!) and finished my coaching career as director and coach for Beach Elite Volleyball.

My wonderful husband, Chris, and I moved into our forever home in Pine Meadows in 1997 – what a great area to raise kids! Patrick, Megan and Kelly all graduated from Ocean Lakes HS with excellent educations and are now out of the nest taking on the world.

I retired in 2022, I miss the kids, but I don’t miss getting up at 5am every day! I followed in my dad’s footsteps and became an election official…I have fun seeing the entire neighborhood when people come to vote. Got breast cancer…got cured. I still love to be outdoors, digging in the garden, hiking, kayaking and riding my bike. I rescue dogs, because even the oldest, most wobbly dogs deserve a good retirement.

Now you will find me at the Virginia Beach Art Center in the pottery studio making wonky pots and chickens out of clay. Life is good.

I know how lucky I am to have such an amazing family and friends who have supported me my whole life, now it’s time to give back to my community on a bigger scale.

“The purpose of life is to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have it make some difference that we lived at all.” L. Rosten