David S. Sherman ’58 died on April 30, 2023, in Scarborough, Maine.
(The following was provided by the Hobbs Funeral Home on April 30, 2023)
David S. Sherman ’58
David Sherman of Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough passed away on April 30th, having lived a long and wonderful life. Despite recent health setbacks, David remained upbeat, optimistic, and devoted to his family.
David was born in Winchester, Massachusetts, to Roger and Margaret Sherman. He moved to Saco as a young boy and has treated Maine as his home state ever since. From childhood to adulthood, David was a hard worker. At the age of 15, he fibbed about his age so he could drive a delivery truck for Seal Rock Distributors. A few years later with his good friend Dick Cote, he ran a food stand at Old Orchard Beach where he mastered the art of steaming hot dogs.
At the tender age of 17, David met Beverly Marshall of OOB. When he told Beverly’s mother that they were going to the drive-in for their first date, he was met with an icy stare and was told “Oh no you’re not.” Despite this minor setback, David soon fell in love with Beverly (and she him), and their love and devotion to each other lasted a lifetime.
David attended Bowdoin College until fraternity life got in the way of his studies, and then transferred to Boston University where he majored in economics. Two important milestones occurred during his college years. At the ripe age of 20, he and Beverly (then 19) married and started their lives together in a small apartment in Boston. It was there that David began working nights for a small delivery company known as United Parcel Service.
It wasn’t long before David and Beverly’s sons came along in rapid succession. Peter arrived in 1958, then Jack in 1960, and finally David Jr. in 1962. David Sr. was only 25 years old with a beautiful wife and three boys to provide for – and it’s fairly obvious to anyone who knows David that he did a tremendous job.
David’s career at UPS was incredibly successful, but frankly no one in the family had the vaguest idea what he did. When asked, David said that he washed the trucks and would then remark, “Have you ever seen a dirty one?”
With each job promotion, David moved his family to a new town. And at every town, David and Beverly made many good friends. They moved to Westford, Massachusetts, in 1967 and there became fast friends with Eastham and Anne Hockmeyer. The Sherman and Hockmeyer families were inseparable for the next six years, taking many vacations together. Ski weekends at Magic Mountain in Vermont were legendary, as were the Saco River canoeing trips. David took up tennis in his 30s and enjoyed many weekends playing doubles with his sons and friends – oftentimes holding a cigarette in his mouth as he served.
David’s next move was to Greenwich, Connecticut. After six years of commuting to New York City, he and Beverly decided to return to their home state of Maine. They moved to Cape Elizabeth in 1979 and were besieged with neighbors asking to play on the old clay tennis court. David and Beverly hosted many tennis parties, where late in the evening he would show off his famous “knock-an-egg-into-a-glass-of-water-with-a-broom” trick. David loved to entertain with his wife. When friends asked him the secret of their happy marriage, he often quipped, “Well we’ve always wanted to get a divorce but neither of us wanted the kids.”
David’s wry sense of humor suited him well throughout life. He was also extremely generous to his family and to local charities. While Beverly served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club, David attended every auction and “Steak and Burger” event, where he was often seen delivering ice and other supplies. About fifteen years ago he established a foundation to support children’s causes and to help eradicate hunger among Maine’s neediest. David felt an obligation to share his success with others less fortunate than him.
In 1993 David became a grandparent – perhaps the greatest role of his life. Although he was a devoted husband and father, he LOVED being a grandfather to Ross, Sam, and Cooper (in Cape Elizabeth) and Sarah and “Sammy 2” (in Montclair, NJ). With three grandsons in their backyard, David and Beverly often begged to babysit. David was a fixture at all their athletic and school events. He filmed hours of “Fantasy Football News” with Cooper reporting on the prior weekend’s results. Asked how he liked being a grandfather, he said he wish he could have skipped over “the kid part” and gone right to the grandkids.
David was a true gentleman who lived a good life. He will be sorely missed by all who were fortunate to know him. He is survived by his wife, Beverly (Marshall), sons Peter, Jack, and David, daughters-in-law Rita and Moey, grandchildren Ross, Sam, Cooper, Sarah, and Sam, sister Allie and her husband, Newt, and numerous in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews.