On 12 January 1923 the Illawarra Mercury reported:
After a very short illness, Mr. Cecil Cheney died at Wollongong on Wednesday evening at the age of 29. Deceased was a returned soldier, and saw much active service in France, where he was seriously wounded, practically losing the use one arm. A post mortem examination revealed the cause of death as abscess on the brain.”
Cecil Cheney played for the Flinders team from 1910 until his enlistment in 1915. On 19 April 1917 he received a severe gun shot wound to the left forearm which ended his service in the war.
He married Viola Estelle Shoesmith on 17 April 1919 and they had one son, Francis Arthur.