Alton
Ray Sherrod, 87, passed away on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the McClure
Miller Respite House.
A.
Ray, as he was known to many, was born in Tarboro, N.C., on June 25,
1937, the son of Mary Elizabeth (Sherrod) Lanier and the late Booker
T. Lanier. As a young boy, he grew up on a sharecropper farm in North
Carolina, picking cotton, shaking peanuts and cropping tobacco. He
attended North Carolina and Philadelphia schools and graduated from
Lincoln University in Oxford, Pa., with a degree in physics and as a
member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He joined the military at the
Philadelphia Naval Reserves and received an honorable discharge.
Ray
was employed at U.S. government sites and Leeds & Northrup, then
moved to Vermont, where he worked at IBM in Essex Junction for many
years in engineering, management, teaching and college recruitment.
He retired from IBM in 1992 as a senior engineer manager.
While
in school, he played football, wrestled and ran track. He enjoyed
skiing, hunting, hiking Mount Mansfield, boating, fishing in Lake
Champlain and rollerblading along bike paths. He was the proud father
of three children and had four grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. Hobbies included painting with watercolors,
reading and county fairs.
Ray
was a Vermont Realtor/broker for many years after his retirement from
IBM. He was a member of the Vermont Jaycees, the Black Professional
Network of Vermont, New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church and First
Baptist Church in Burlington. He was a faithful servant to the Lord
and gave love, goodwill and hugs to all. He was friendly, caring and
compassionate. He enjoyed smiling, giving and helping people.
Ray
was predeceased by his parents; his son, Raymond Alton Sherrod; and
his grandson, Jason W. Curley. He leaves to cherish his memory two
loving daughters, Erica Lumsden and husband Matt of Essex Junction,
Vt., and Monica Sherrod of Arizona; three grandchildren, Erin
Dunning, Megan Curley and Asia Robinson; and his three
great-grandchildren, Hadley, Solarin and Analeah. He also leaves a
host of relatives and friends.
At
Ray’s request, his ashes will be buried in the family plot during a
private graveside ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington. He
asks those who mourn him to reach out and tell somebody you love them
in his memory with big smiles and hugs. Donations in Ray’s honor
can be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 20 Trafalgar Square,
Suite 447, Nashua, NH 03063. Arrangements are in the care of Ready
Funeral & Cremation Services. To send your condolences online,
please visit cremationsocietycc.com.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2025.