Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Mary Sherpick
Mary (Taylor) Sherpick, age 96, passed away peacefully at her home in Needham, Mass. on April 20, 2023.
Mary was born to Rainey S. and Irene (Jordan) Taylor in Middletown, N.Y. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, William “Bill” Sherpick, her parents and her brother, Rainey Taylor, Jr. She is survived by her four daughters Sarah Taymore and her husband Bruce, Elizabeth (“Lee”) Kenyon and her husband Walter, Brooke Mohr and her husband Charlie, and Ann Sherpick and her husband Walter Stewart.
Mary also leaves her six grandchildren: Cooper and Crosby Taymore and Crosby’s fiancée Paige St. Germain, Taylor Mohr, and Sarah, Emily, and Julia Stewart, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, step grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mary graduated from Abbott Academy (now part of Phillips Academy), Briarcliff College and Bouvé College (Tufts and Northeastern Universities). She taught physical education until she and Bill married, shifting her focus to building and supporting her family.
She was an avid tennis player and ardent volunteer in Farmington, including the garden club and church. Mary’s life revolved around her daughters, cheering them from the sidelines, chaperoning activities, hosting their friends, and planning family trips.
As a Girl Scout Mom (“no choice with four girls”), she accompanied the scouts on camping trips, magically starting campfires in the rain. In addition to raising her daughters, Mary opened her home to dogs and other family pets over the years, extending her childhood love of dogs.
In 1996, Mary and Bill moved from Farmington, Conn. to North Hill in Needham, Mass. and purchased a summer home in Wareham, Mass. where they built new bases of friends.
Mary served on multiple resident committees at North Hill and provided love and support to the entire staff there. She was a firm believer in helping people and organizations while making sure to have fun while doing it.
Her sharp wit, sense of humor and impish smile, her family said, will be missed and fondly remembered.
Mary’s family would like to thank her friends and the team members at North Hill, and her companions from Seniors Helping Seniors for their care and compassion, especially in her later years.
Her family will gather for a reception honoring Mary’s life on Monday, May 15, 2023, at North Hill in Needham, Mass. Burial will be private.
To share a memory or to send a note of condolence, visit eatonfuneralhomes.com
