Earl M. Sherwood

Earl Sherwood was born in a bedroom on the second floor of his home in Bellwood, PA. His family moved to a farm in Berwinsdale, PA when he was 4 years old. He attended a one room school with 25 students, until High School where he attended Coal-Port – Irvona High School, graduating with 36 students in his class.

In 1932 his farm house burned down, requiring Earl and his brother to spend the summer sleeping in a chicken coop while the new house was being built. During the depression he would sleep out in the fields to guard against chicken thieves.

In 1936 a major rain storm flooded the Susquehanna River, which lead to Earl (12yrs) recording weather, rain fall etc. for Fed/State Flood Forecasting Service, sending his data via Short Wave Radio. This sparked his interest in Meteorology. While attending Penn State in 1942, Earl enlisted in the Army Air Corps Meteorology Program. This led to training at Haverford College and Harvard University, and many bases throughout the U.S.

After WWII Earl graduated from Penn State in Agricultural Engineering, and received a MS from Michigan State. He worked for General Electric Company in Fort Wayne IN, Schenectady, NY and Erie, PA., Where he met Nancy. The most important event in Earl’s life was meeting his wife Nancy Sherwood (Spraggon) in 1956.

While working for Westinghouse in Pittsburg, PA Earl married Nancy (Spraggon) Sherwood in 1958.
In 1962 Earl and Nancy moved to Mentor, Ohio. Earl worked for Reliance Electric Co., marketing controls and DC Motors. He retired from Reliance in 1989. Earl and Nancy lived and enjoyed their home on Perkins Dr. in Mentor until they moved to Breckenridge Village in 2008.

Earl served his church in Mentor for many years, served on City of Mentor’s Planning Commission for 12 years, Volunteered at Lake Hospital System for 21 years. He also served as Scout Master for the BSA Troop 280, and served as the Wise Owl Donavon Dignity, in the BABES puppet program for LHS.

Earl enjoyed his large, diverse garden and maintaining his tractors and rototillers. He enjoyed the Holden Arboretum and Mentor Recreational Park, now Garfield Park in Mentor. During his retirement Earl and Nancy enjoyed the Lake Farm Park with their Grandchildren and took pleasure in watching their Grandchildren in a wide variety of activities and sports.

Earl and Nancy enjoyed a long life after retirement and where able to travel both domestically and aboard.

Earl is survived by his children - son John, son David, and daughter Mary. Grandchildren, Kara, Scott, Curtis, Clay, Austin, Hailey, and Stephen. His beloved wife Nancy Sherwood, parents Walter Sherwood, Nellie (McCord) Sherwood, his brother Charles N. Sherwood, Sisters - Irene Sherwood, Ruth Spreckleson, and Nora Cain, are deceased.

Earl M. Sherwood was a kind gentlemen who lived a long, happy life!

Memorial services will be held at 3 PM on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at The Lyons Chapel at the Nason Center of Ohio Living Breckenridge Village, 36859 Ridge Road, Willoughby. The Rev. Diane E. Walker, Chaplain of Breckenridge Village will officiate at the service. Private family interment will be in Mentor Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to Hospice of the Western Reserve, Inc., 17876 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44110-2602 or online at www.hospicewr.org.