- Date Of Birth: March 28, 1925
- Date Of Death: February 28, 2018
- State: Georgia
David Horace “Dave” Sherwood, recently of Newnan, Georgia, and long-time resident of Bristol, Virginia, died Wednesday, February 28, 2018, a month short of his 93rd birthday. Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on March 28, 1925, Dave spent his youth in Merion, PA on the Main Line outside of Philadelphia where he graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1943.
He joined the US Army after graduation and was sent to basic training at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, a move he talked about for years to come because it introduced him to a part of the country he had never experienced. Dave was then deployed to Algiers in North Africa, subsisting on Hershey bars and Coca-Cola’s during his entire voyage overseas (his sweet tooth followed him the rest of his life). While in North Africa, he was assigned the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the CIA and Special Forces, all because he had an ingrown toenail. He couldn’t stand or walk, so he was kept overnight while his troop was sent back to their post. When he was finally able to go back himself, they’d moved on to Italy and he was given the OSS assignment, which included training agents in small arms use and how to parachute out of a plane while loaded with gear.
Dave didn’t fully realize the secrecy of what they were doing until he wrote home to his mother to tell her about their missions, and his letter was returned to him cut up. He never spoke much about the War once he left the service, but he enjoyed telling a couple stories: one about King George VI visiting their camp, and the other, which he was always especially excited to share, about working alongside actress Maureen O’Hara. After the War, Dave was honorably discharged as a Sergeant.
He moved back to Pennsylvania and worked for U.S. Plywood, later to be Champion Building Products, with whom he spent his career. He was promoted to Assistant Manager and transferred from Philadelphia to Allentown, then transferred again as a Branch Manager to Bristol, Tennessee. He and his wife of 57 years, Virginia, settled down in Bristol, VA and raised their family.
Dave was a member of State Street United Methodist Church in Bristol and a longtime member of the Men’s Fellowship Sunday School Class and then the Solaris Sunday School Class. He was also a member of the Bristol Country Club and an avid supporter of his son’s athletic teams.
Dave was a kind, honest and humble man, whose generosity was felt by all who knew him. He will be remembered for his love of family and friends, God and Country. He is pre-deceased by his parents Albert & Gertrude Sherwood; his siblings Amanda Dean, Albert “Bud” Sherwood Jr. and George Sherwood; his wife Virginia “Hun” Sherwood and his grandson Joseph Sherwood.
He is survived by sons David (Lisa) of Southern Pines, NC, Mitchell (Melinda) of Newnan, GA, and Charts of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren John Eyre “Jack,” Mac, Evan, Landon, Sam and Virginia “Jenna” Sherwood, and step-granddaughters Janet Marie and Amanda Gunnels.
