John Clayton "Jack" Sherrill
February 9, 1918 - March 12, 2007
Texas resident Jack Sherrill died March 12, 2007, at Ramblings Oaks Courtyard in Highland Village, Texas. He was 89.
Jack has family in Steamboat Springs.
Jack was born Feb. 9, 1918, in Louisville, Ky.
He was a graduate of the University of Michigan. During those years, he led the Michigan band in many performances, and at 6-foot-8 is still recognized as the tallest drum major in school history.
He was honorably discharged from the U. S. Army in September 1946 as a first lieutenant, serving in Central Burma at the 20th General Hospital during World War II.
Jack retired from a career in commercial real estate development to pursue another interest as an inventor. He held two U.S. patents. His artistic talents also became apparent in his later years. A zoology degree and lifelong interest in nature enabled him to interpret the intimacies of wildlife through the medium of sculpture. His early life in the forests and streams of Kentucky and the mountains of Pennsylvania gave him an appreciation of animal behavior, which was captured by his artwork. His dedication to the aesthetic value of our natural environment was depicted best in is his first bronze sculpture, "A Rainbow Rise."
As an ardent fly fisherman, Jack became interested in the art of fly casting and in 1995 became certified as a master casting instructor by the Federation of Fly Fishers, of which he was a board member and past president. He taught fly casting and certified many others who shared his appreciation of this art form.
Jack was a member of the Sigma Chi Alumni Association and Rotary International for many years.
He is survived by his sister, Billie Sherrill Britz and her husband, Everett Hastings of Hudson, N.Y.; his daughter, C. Lynne Castleman and her husband, Bill, of Copper Canyon, Texas; his son, John Sherrill Jr., and his wife, Terry, of Steamboat Springs; three grandchildren, Becky Sherrill Slamal, and her husband Scott, Cody Sherrill and Mike Sherrill and his wife, Becca; and two great-grandchildren, Sarah Sherrill and John-Paul Sherrill.
A private memorial service will be planned by the family.
Memorial contributions may be made to Best Friends Animal Society, 5001
Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, UT 84741, or at www.bestfriends.org.
