Benette Sherman Obituary

On the morning of June 3, 2024, Benette Sherman passed away peacefully and in the company of her two sons, Dan Sherman and Tom Sherman, and her ex-husband, Peter Sherman.

Benette was born in Oak Harbor, Washington on December 11, 1949. She spent most of her younger years in Oklahoma (with her sister, Linda, and her brother, Ron) and was a cheerleader at Norman High School. Following high school, she graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and worked as a journalist for a few years, then as an aide at a facility for troubled youth, before embarking on an adventure through Europe that would change her life forever.

Benette was in her mid-20’s when, while backpacking across Europe, she met a spiritual teacher in Denmark who encouraged her - as well as a small group of others - to start a spiritual commune in northern Wisconsin. Two years later, she helped start the commune, which has flourished to this day. It was there where she met Peter Sherman, another founding member of the commune and a man who would soon become her husband and the father of her two sons.

In 1991, after moving from Wisconsin to Indiana, where she stayed at home and raised her sons, Benette and her family moved to Ames, Iowa. In Ames, she briefly worked as a registered nurse before pursuing a professional path with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, where she was Director of Religious Education for over a decade.

Benette worked for the Unitarian Universalist Association after moving from Ames to New Hampshire and she continued to work for the UUA while living in New Mexico and North Carolina, all before ending up back in Ames, where she remained until her death and where, during her last year, she was cared for by Peter and two of her best friends, Jamie Gurganus and Nancy Tepper.

In addition to meditating regularly and following a spiritual path throughout her life, Benette was a master gardener, an avid walker and writer, and a passionate fan of folk dancing and film. She was fun to be around - full of life and full of love. She devoted herself to being a great mother, grandmother, wife, and friend, and she dedicated her life to caring for and helping people, including her grandsons, Max and Vincent, and her daughter-in-law, Alice.

A brave and independent woman with immense inner strength, she was a lover of the ocean, the night sky, chocolate, wine, and life itself. Benette is missed by many loved ones and a long list of people she never knew, but who she still touched with her laughter, smile, and presence - including even the cardinals she used to whistle with.

Benette’s family and friends will host a celebration of life in honor of her at 2:00pm on Saturday, June 15, 2024 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, for all of those who would like to attend. The celebration will also be live-streamed via Zoom. If you would like a link to the livestream, please contact danielsolomonsherman@gmail.com.

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