Memories of Sherman

Posted by Dave Nathanson on February 14th, 2008 filed in Sherman

Sunday Feb 17, 2008 just prior to 7am, Sherman Nathanson peacefully passed on from this world as he slept. Memorial service is March 8th.

Please share your memories of Sherm. Recent comments appear in the right sidebar, and all comments are available by clicking “comments” above. We have a collection of “Photos of Sherm & Family” in the right sidebar. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Sherman’s memory to La Leche League.

Sherman


9 Responses to “Memories of Sherman”

  1. Dave Nathanson Says:

    Sherm always put family first. He had an irrepressible dry wit, and he used it often.
    One of my favorite stories is a phone call I overheard when I worked in the office next to his. He called someone on the phone and said Hi, then asked how she was feeling. Everything was said in a very friendly & gentle tone of voice.

    “Are you feeling well today? Is everything ok with you?…. Well, I ask because I’m really upset with how your department handled my account, and I really need to yell at you about it. But if you’re not feeling strong today, I could do it tomorrow.”

    That was how Sherman handled problems, with a gentle & generous way. People were always happy to do business with him again.

  2. Beth Grace Says:

    Some years ago – I believe to celebrate my parents’ 75th birthdays, my brothers and I hosted a dinner party at mom and dad’s. Among the handful of invited guests were Sherman and Jody, dear friends of mom and dad. At the time one of my brothers was married to an avid football fan. My best friend Pam, who considers my parents her second set, was also present and is also a huge football fan. Thus, those two eventually proceeded into a spirited discussion about that year’s teams, players, coaching, etc, etc…

    Sitting in the near vicinity was Sherman, taking it all in. At one point Pam paused (I’m paraphrasing here as my memory lacks the precision of its youth) and said, “Sherman, you look as if you disagree.”

    In great Sherman fashion, he hesitated a brief moment then said, “I can’t agree or disagree. In fact, I can’t even form a thought because I’m so overwhelmed at hearing two women discuss football at this level!”

    The rest of the table “fell out” and I’ve chuckled over that remark to this day.

    I know he will be missed!

  3. Brentlee Haberman Says:

    When I was 12 years old, I was on a choir tour to California. At one of the stops in California, I was greeted by a tall thin man wearing dark shades, dark shirt, white shorts with the sunglass case holder on the belt, black socks and black shoes….looking like a famous detective or a tall Charlie Chaplin. I was so proud to see my cool uncle from California!

    Then, just a few years later (ok, maybe 28 years), he came to San Antonio to join in my celebration of my marriage to Brenda… what joyful family memories!

    Memories…we will keep them close to our heart forever!

    A father of many boys–his own plus the 3 Haberman boys..and he always had a smile!

    May your family always remember the great memories!

    Love, Brenda & Brentlee

  4. Bill Leipold Says:

    As his vendor, I undoubtedly knew Sherman in a different context than most of you. You don’t have to be nice to vendors. Sherman wasn’t. Rather, he was generally concerned and interested in me as a human being as no other customer I have ever had. Obviously, Sherman was an astute businessman. He was insightful, focused on the least detail with a genuine mission to provide the best possible product to new mothers. Sherman was always fair and honorable. It was a privilege to work with him and an honor to know him. Great though he was as a businessman, I have no doubt he was a great man on an even higher plain.

  5. Pat and Bob Brewster Says:

    We remember such good times with Sherman and Jody!

    Sherman was always easy to be with, interested, concerned, and had a great sense of humor. And his opinion on any matter always seemed so reasonable, you just felt pleased to hear what he thought and wanted to agree with him.

    He will be greatly missed. Although he is in a better place now, our world is not as good, without him.

    Pat and Bob Brewster

  6. Bil & Jean Pawk Says:

    AN EVENT THAT CHANGED OUR LIVES

    May 1954, Oakland CA. Jean, ?What is in this official letter from the Govt.?? Bill, ?What!!! I must report to my draft board immediately! I?m 27 years old and have been 4F since high school.?

    We soon found out about the unusual draft. It was the year Micky Mantle had been noticed by Congress as perfectly able to earn a fortune as a baseball player, yet he had been 4F for years. (He had had ostiomyelitis as a child, as Bill did.) The subsequent investigation led to a year?s revision of the draft law nearly at the end of the Korean War, calling up many who had been deferred for years ?deaf, lame, etc.

    Arranging a few weeks deferment in order to finish out the teaching year, we packed up our apartment, and Bill reported for duty at Fort ?Pneumonia? (Fort Ord) early in June 1954 for 8 weeks of basic training. Among the large group of aged newcomers was Sherman Nathanson.

    We had decided that Jean might as well spend the summer in the Sierra Nevada of CA. We contacted Joe Wampler Trail Trips for whom we had delivered supplies for two summers. Jean became an assistant cook and botanist trudging the full length of John Muir Trail while Bill was obeying commands at Fort Ord.

    We reunited in early September to move to Bill?s assignment at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah where we spent the next year and a half.

    Among the benefits of our lives upheaval was the gathering of new friends. Our lives have been enriched by the 54 year contact with two from basic training at Fort Ord, and three from Dugway. Annual Christmas letters were the main communication, but we have also exchanged some ?live? visits.

    We can?t remember ever visiting Sherm & Jody, but it has been a great pleasure to follow their family for all of these years. We especially appreciated knowing them during the 20 years when we were teaching in Malawi for the Lay Mission-Helpers Assn. Getting news of a family from home in the U.S. was very inspiring and reassuring.

    The Four Musketeers at Fort Ord

    RODERER.jpg
    Barbedwire3.jpg
    PAWEK.jpg
    NATHANSON.jpg
    Bush3.jpg
    NAVON.jpg
    CO3.jpg

  7. Gregg Stiglic Says:

    When the Nathansons took a family vacation to Australia and New Zealand around 1980 or so, Sherman asked if I would be willing to come over and take care of the house.

    The duties were simple enough, just picking up mail and newspapers, maybe watering occasionally, and just making the place look “lived in.” It seemed so easy, but sometimes even easy can be difficult. I had to entertain myself, of course, and I managed to break the lamp over the pool table while attempting a “trick shot.” Oops. there was no way to cover the tracks on that one. Might as well just admit it when they came home.

    The second calamity came about when I went into one of the rooms to look for something or other. I turned on a floor lamp and soon found that a burning odor was filling the room, along with smoke. It seems that the bath robe that one of the sons had hung on the lamp had a nice black hole burnt through it by the bulb. Realizing it could have burned the house to the ground, I counted myself as lucky.

    The rest of the time passed uneventfully. When Sherman came home, he really seemed unfazed by the accidents and offered me praise (and some cash) for taking good care of things. I walked off with a quiet thanks, somewhat sheepishly. I later asked Geoff why he wasn’t mad at me over the “accidents.”

    Geoff said that basically, since the house was still standing, he was satisfied and counted it as good. Nothing like low expectations to set the table for success!

  8. Lynne Kamerman Says:

    I will never forget Sherman Nathanson. I was 20 years old when I first met him. I bought a Happy Baby Carrier from him. Over the years that I knew him I grew to admire and respect him. I will always be grateful that I was on this planet the same time he was. He was the most wonderful man. I am a better person from knowing him and the world will never be the same without him.

  9. Rob Silverman Says:

    I’ve been hesitant to post because my memory of Mr. Nathanson (that’s what I called him) that keeps coming back to me is so left-field that I questioned its inappropriate-ness because it involved yelling at a cute adorable kid: Me.

    …Bennett and I were young (3rd or 4th grade?) and there was a day when it was really, really, really pouring outside. I was at Bennett’s house and, on a dare (I think), I went outside to ride a bike (or skateboard) down their steep driveway. As I stopped short of running into the Garin’s (sp?) car across the street, I remember feeling on-top-of-the-world great. With the rain pouring down, I turned to look up for Bennett’s reaction/approval and that’s when I saw Mr. Nathanson emerging from the house, yelling, questioning my sanity because I was going to get sick by being out in the rain. My ego immediately deflated. But you know what? Perfect normal reaction

    I think if same situation occurred today with one of my step-daughter’s friends, I wouldn’t say a thing. Either Toni would be upset because I’m interfering in one of her friendships OR I’d have to face wrath of parent of kid I called crazy.

    I think if same situation occurred today with Mr. Nathanson, his reaction would be the same. I wish I had that courage.