Robert Dean Sherman

Robert (Bob) Dean Sherman, of Dedham, MA formerly of Fayetteville, NY and Sarasota, FL, passed away on Monday, January 17, 2011. He was 86.

Born in Bolton Landing, NY, he was the class valedictorian. Between high school and college he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps surveying his beloved Adirondacks. He was drafted during WWII and based on his strong mathematical aptitude, was sent to Hamilton College in Clinton, NY under the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command program to train as a weather officer in their Meteorology Program for combat units. Upon graduation from the Program, Bob was sent to Iceland as a radar operator. He attended Union College in Schenectady, NY on the GI bill, and was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He graduated in 1949 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. While at Union, on a blind date, he met his future wife, Barbara Happold, who was working at General Electric in Schenectady. After graduation, Bob was hired by IBM and entered their training program working in Poughkeepsie, NY and Washington, DC. Following IBM, Bob was employed by General Electric in Glens Falls, NY, then Syracuse, NY. In the early 1960’s Bob worked at Hughes Aircraft in Syracuse. In the 1970’s, as an entrepreneur, he founded Robert D. Sherman, Inc., a manufacturers representative for electrical and telecommunication components sold to the defense industry. With a great deal of foresight in the 1980’s he also founded Seneca Data, Inc., a computer printer distributor.

Bob had a lifelong love of the Adirondacks and Lake George in particular. He was never happier than boating and fishing on Lake George in all kinds of weather. He enjoyed golfing and was a long time member of the Cavalry Club in Manlius, NY as well as the TPC in Sarasota, Florida. Bob was gregarious, and loved socializing with family, friends and neighbors.

He was the husband of the late Barbara Happold who passed away in 1980. He married Nancy Coughlin White in 1983. He and Nancy were fortunate to have spent their retirement years between Fayetteville and Sarasota, and happily traveled the world together.

Bob is survived by his children, Barbara Sherman Church and her husband Gilbert of Shelburne, VT; Susan Sherman Mooney and her husband Joseph of Dover, MA; Robert Dean Sherman, Jr. and his wife Diane of Greenwich, CT; Joan Sherman McMahon and her husband James of Southport, CT; his step-daughter Jennifer White Kuri and her husband John of Marina Del Ray, CA. Bob’s other step-daughter, Pamela Neveldine predeceased him. He has seven grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. The family wishes to offer special thanks to Bob’s dedicated caregivers, John Weslowski and Forrest McFarland.

A memorial service and burial will be held in Bolton Landing, NY in the spring. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011 or online at www.alz.org.

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