Raphael L. “Red” Sherry, 99, of 511 Washington Street, St. Marys, passed away on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015, at Penn Highlands Elk, surrounded by his family. He was the son of Anthony and Mary Sherry and the youngest of seven siblings, all of whom preceded him in death.
He was married to Ann Jeselnick Sherry who also preceded him in death. They had a son, Raphael Joseph, who died at birth on Christmas Day.
Raphael leaves seven children: Donald, Mary Louise, Rose Ann, Kathleen, David, Barbara and Raye Ann. His children gave him sixteen grandchildren and twenty-seven great grandchildren, plus a great, great grandchild. Raphael knew an abundance of both work and love. His children and his children’s children were always with him. He’d sit in his green chair and watch small kids run through the house and he’d grin. “A full house, “ he’d say. “That’s good.” And it was.
He was a farmer/gardener at heart and a carpenter by trade. He worked with his brothers, Vincent, Lee and Harold “Shorty” to build the famous Sherry houses. Like many people of his generation, he worked hard! But. He also knew how to enjoy his life. He was a great bowler and bowled up to his nineties. When he couldn’t bend his knee to roll the ball down the land, he’d stand still, eye the lane and the ball and sort of pitch it forward and he still got a strike.
He worked out at the St. Marys gym into his nineties. He was strong!
What did he care about? He prayed for his family every day. He loved his Catholic faith and was the oldest living member of Sacred Heart Parish. He liked sunflowers and the woods. He would have lived in the woods, off the land, if he could have, but seven kids prevented that. He voted every election, never missed and received a commendation from the President for that feat. He also took pride in being the oldest living member of the CMF. “I have a lifetime membership,” he’d tell people. He loved dancing. When his wife was alive and they danced it was like watching magic; waltzes, polkas, the music carried the two of them off into another world. He has waltzed away now and we miss him. We picture him with our mother and his siblings, happy, maybe gardening, maybe dancing, keeping a watchful eye on us, and praying us through our lives.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the Sacred Heart Church on Saturday, February 21, 2015, at 10:00 AM, with the Rev. Eric Vogt, OSB, Pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Visitation is at the Lynch-Radkowski Funeral Home on Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 PM.
Donations in his name may be made to Penn Highlands Elk, 763 Johnsonburg Road, St. Marys, PA 15857 or to the Community Nurses, Inc. 757 Johnsonburg Road, Suite 200, St. Marys, PA 15857. Without help from the wonderful people in both places his passing would not have been so peaceful.