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April 9, 2013
Services
Friends are invited to join with the family for a memorial service celebrating Bob’s life which will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2013, 11:00 AM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Robert James Sherwood, age 92 of Wayne, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, April 9, 2013.
Bob was born and raised in Paterson, the son of Arnold and Margaret Sherwood. He enjoyed a happy childhood with extended family living nearby and visiting frequently. After graduating from Eastside High School in 1938, Bob furthered his education at Upsula College, East Orange, graduating in 1942 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and geology. Following graduation Bob took a position with U.S. Rubber Company in Passaic. The company would later become known as Uniroyal Corporation and Bob worked in the company’s hose and belt division, originally doing time studies to measure the company’s manufacturing efficiencies.
Bob’s ascent up the corporate ladder took a detour in 1943 as the call to serve came from Uncle Sam. Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps to serve in World War II. Following training in photography, photo intelligence and terrain modeling, Bob was deployed to the European Theater serving in the air offensive over Europe, Normandy, France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. As a First Lieutenant, he served in the Air Corps 33rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron and the 9th Air Force Photo Reconnaissance. On his ascent to the rank of Captain Bob was decorated with the Distinguished Unit Citation, Belgian Fouragere Citation, European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon and the EAME ribbon with 6 stars. During his service he briefly came home on leave to marry his high school sweetheart, Gertrude Simmons. They enjoyed 56 years of married life together until Gertrudes’s passing in 1999.
After the war Bob continued in his career with Uniroyal ascending to the level of factory manager in Passaic. Meanwhile, he and Gert welcomed their two children, Robert and Kathryn and purchased their new home in Wayne in 1949 for $13,000. In 1973 he and Gert moved to Italy for two years so that Bob could manage a joint venture called Uniroyal-Manuli. He then went on to manage their factory in Maryville, MO and Port Clinton, OH before returning to his home in Wayne following retirement in 1984 after forty years of service to Uniroyal.
Bob loved taking his family on vacations to such destinations as New England for fall foliage watching, to his brother-in-laws home in Long Beach Island to be at the beach, to tour the Cape May Victorian homes, to Washington DC, and to Williamsburg, Virginia and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to teach his kids about early American history. There are fond memories of Bob loading up the 1957 Dodge, which was described to be as big as a living room, to go on these educational trips. That car was big enough to accommodate everyone, including Bob’s parents.
A self-proclaimed workaholic, Bob didn’t have much time for leisure pursuits but he did enjoy watching sports of all kinds, especially football. He also loved to watch the stock market, even offering his well-thought opinions about its future as recently as the Friday before his passing.
Bob will be remembered for his extreme intelligence that was balanced by an extremely kind and thoughtful demeanor. You name the subject and Bob would be happy to humbly share his thoughts with you. He was also a man who was incredibly proud of America and the flag.
Surviving is his son Robert H. of Bloomingdale, his niece Lee Walsh of Boonton who was a tremendous help to Bob in later years, his nephew Charles Geiger, his special friends Michael and Jerry Snudden, his other nieces and nephews, and his cousins Thomas Neuviller and Fred Huettig. Bob was predeceased by his beloved wife Gertrude “Gert” in 1999 and his dear daughter Kathryn Sherwood in 2009.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider the Lustgarten Foundation (for Pancreatic Cancer Research), 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714 or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends are invited to join with the family for a memorial service celebrating Bob’s life which will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2013, 11:00 AM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
April 9, 2013
Services
Friends are invited to join with the family for a memorial service celebrating Bob’s life which will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2013, 11:00 AM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Robert James Sherwood, age 92 of Wayne, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, April 9, 2013.
Bob was born and raised in Paterson, the son of Arnold and Margaret Sherwood. He enjoyed a happy childhood with extended family living nearby and visiting frequently. After graduating from Eastside High School in 1938, Bob furthered his education at Upsula College, East Orange, graduating in 1942 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and geology. Following graduation Bob took a position with U.S. Rubber Company in Passaic. The company would later become known as Uniroyal Corporation and Bob worked in the company’s hose and belt division, originally doing time studies to measure the company’s manufacturing efficiencies.
Bob’s ascent up the corporate ladder took a detour in 1943 as the call to serve came from Uncle Sam. Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps to serve in World War II. Following training in photography, photo intelligence and terrain modeling, Bob was deployed to the European Theater serving in the air offensive over Europe, Normandy, France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. As a First Lieutenant, he served in the Air Corps 33rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron and the 9th Air Force Photo Reconnaissance. On his ascent to the rank of Captain Bob was decorated with the Distinguished Unit Citation, Belgian Fouragere Citation, European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon and the EAME ribbon with 6 stars. During his service he briefly came home on leave to marry his high school sweetheart, Gertrude Simmons. They enjoyed 56 years of married life together until Gertrudes’s passing in 1999.
After the war Bob continued in his career with Uniroyal ascending to the level of factory manager in Passaic. Meanwhile, he and Gert welcomed their two children, Robert and Kathryn and purchased their new home in Wayne in 1949 for $13,000. In 1973 he and Gert moved to Italy for two years so that Bob could manage a joint venture called Uniroyal-Manuli. He then went on to manage their factory in Maryville, MO and Port Clinton, OH before returning to his home in Wayne following retirement in 1984 after forty years of service to Uniroyal.
Bob loved taking his family on vacations to such destinations as New England for fall foliage watching, to his brother-in-laws home in Long Beach Island to be at the beach, to tour the Cape May Victorian homes, to Washington DC, and to Williamsburg, Virginia and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to teach his kids about early American history. There are fond memories of Bob loading up the 1957 Dodge, which was described to be as big as a living room, to go on these educational trips. That car was big enough to accommodate everyone, including Bob’s parents.
A self-proclaimed workaholic, Bob didn’t have much time for leisure pursuits but he did enjoy watching sports of all kinds, especially football. He also loved to watch the stock market, even offering his well-thought opinions about its future as recently as the Friday before his passing.
Bob will be remembered for his extreme intelligence that was balanced by an extremely kind and thoughtful demeanor. You name the subject and Bob would be happy to humbly share his thoughts with you. He was also a man who was incredibly proud of America and the flag.
Surviving is his son Robert H. of Bloomingdale, his niece Lee Walsh of Boonton who was a tremendous help to Bob in later years, his nephew Charles Geiger, his special friends Michael and Jerry Snudden, his other nieces and nephews, and his cousins Thomas Neuviller and Fred Huettig. Bob was predeceased by his beloved wife Gertrude “Gert” in 1999 and his dear daughter Kathryn Sherwood in 2009.
Those planning an expression of sympathy in Robert’s name are asked to consider the Lustgarten Foundation (for Pancreatic Cancer Research), 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714 or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.
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