Cheek was born 11 April 1927[REF] in Adelaide, South Australia, where she graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1947[REF] and married her economics tutor, Bruce Cheek [REF].
Cheek had become active as a lay leader at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Annandale, Virginia, when her rector encouraged her to take some classes at Virginia Theological Seminary because she was increasingly being asked to lead programs at the church [REF].