Husband Loses Beautiful Wife of 30 Years, Starts Looking Like Her Soon After: ‘I’m Still Grieving'

Cherylin Hall lived a lie for most of her life and married a beautiful woman she wanted to become. When no one was around, she would dress like a woman in her home to feel like her true self. However, when her wife died, Cherylin realized life was too short to live a lie. She now identifies as a woman.

For several decades, Cherylin Hall was known as Tony Hall, a man married to Theresa Hall for over 30 years. Cherylin was still a child when she realized she wasn't a man. She had a connection with her innate female identity and the desire to express it through makeup and clothes.

At seven, she would look forward to having playtime at school, where she and her classmates would play with the toys provided. Every Friday, Cherylin would wear a vibrant pink tutu adorned with flowers, making it an end-of-week tradition.

While dressing like a girl made Cherylin feel like her true self, externally, she couldn't be anything but a boy. Growing up in the '70s, when the LGBTQ+ movement wasn't yet prominent, made her feel like she didn't belong.

Theresa didn't mind it for the first few years, but when she realized her husband's cross-dressing had a deeper meaning, it became the source of problems in their marriage.

Instead, Cherylin confined her cross-dressing to the four corners of her home, away from prying eyes and judgment. "​​'When I was young, there wasn't a name for people like me," she said. "There's no way I could go out wearing a dress and be the real me."

Cherylin Hall, Formerly Known as Tony, Came Out as Transgender after His Wife of 30 Years Died of Cancer

At 23, Cherylin met Theresa Hall in a pub. She wouldn't have talked to Theresa first, given her only interest in women was looking like them. However, Theresa made the first move to start a conversation. Cherylin recalled:

"She was five-foot-four, blonde, and always wore heels and a dress. It's exactly what I wanted and what I wanted to be. I think that's some of the reason why I fell in love with her – I wanted to be her."

Cherylin eventually tied the knot with Theresa, and although she assumed the role of a husband and father, she didn't leave her wife blindsided. Days after they met, Cherylin told Theresa about her cross-dressing.

Theresa didn't mind it for the first few years, but when she realized her husband's cross-dressing had a deeper meaning, it became the source of problems in their marriage.

Eventually, Theresa came to terms with the cross-dressing and even helped her husband buy clothes. "My cross-dressing was a poor substitute for having to live the lie that I was living," Cherylin said.

Unfortunately, Theresa passed away from cancer in 2019. She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, but the tumor spread to the bones in two years. Her death was a wake-up call for Cherylin, who realized life was too short to live a lie. She said:

"I'm still grieving but also filled with excitement."

Cherylin Hall Decided to Become a Woman and Undergo Gender Correction Surgery

Cherylin has taken the necessary steps to transition, such as taking hormones. As of January 2023, she was in line for vaginoplasty, which she believes is essential for her relationships. She said she needed to feel like a woman before deciding on her next partner.

In November 2019, Cherylin sat her kids down one by one to let them know that she would live according to her terms as Cherylin, a female, in 2020. Cherylin's story has since gone viral on the internet.

Many social media users supported her and felt bad that she spent nearly her entire life living a lie. "Never judge until you've walked in those boots," one person said. Another person also said:

"That poor woman. [Imagine] living her entire life having to hide her true self from the world."

Meanwhile, others criticized and mocked Cherylin. "Every day, I identify as something different. [Today] I think I will identify as an Eggplant," a Facebook user posted.

Since the rise of the LGBTQ+ movement, more transgender men and women have had the courage to live their true identities. Many are known celebrities, including Mack Bayda, Dwyane Wade's daughter, Zaya Wade, Elon Musk's daughter, Xavier Musk, and "911: Lone Star" actor Brian Michael Smith.