Sherry Hursey is an American actress. She is best known for her recurring role as Ilene Markham on the sitcom Home Improvement and her 1988–1989 stint as Paula Carson on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. In 2010, Hursey starred and produced the television pilot Lilly's Light, starring in the titular role. The series was about a Lilly (Hursey) a foster mother living in an enchanted lighthouse raising three foster children. Actors Mindy Sterling and Fred Willard also co-starred.