Linda Shirley Kaufman Sherwood, a
Claremont resident for the last 30 years,
died Wednesday, September 26 at home
with her daughter and granddaughter at
her side. She was 66.
Ms. Sherwood was born November
15, 1945 to Esther and Ruben Kaufman
in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she
grew up with 3 older brothers. She graduated
from Central High School in
Bridgeport, and in 1966 married John
James Sherwood.
Ms. Sherwood moved to California in
1978, settling first in Duarte, and went to
work for Crocker Bank, the forerunner
of Wells Fargo. She worked her way up
to manage a number of Wells Fargo
branches, from Pasadena to Riverside.
She was an assistant vice president when
she retired in 2008.
In her retirement, Ms. Sherwood delighted
in caring for her granddaughter,
Sydny Bowerman, and helping out in
Sydny’s classroom at Sumner Elementary
School. Ms. Sherwood also had a
strong commitment to community service,
participating in Claremont’s Community
Patrol program and with the
Friends of the Claremont Library. Additionally,
she was a dedicated volunteer at
House of Ruth in Pomona, where she organized
clothing drives, took turns on the
switchboard and assisted wherever
needed.
“Linda was an extraordinary individual
who embraced life’s pursuits with
zest. Being around her was always a
great joy,” said Garry Schneider, who
partnered with Ms. Sherwood during her
time patrolling for the Claremont PD.
Her cheerful nature and helpful ways
were infectious, said Katrina Mason,
who met Ms. Sherwood shortly after
moving to Claremont 3 years ago and
became a close friend.
“Linda knew all of the best places to
take kids, from the Huntington Library
to San Dimas Canyon,” Ms. Mason said.
“She was full of wonderful advice and so
practical, the kind of friend everyone
needs.
Ms. Sherwood was an enthusiastic
participant at the senior exercise class at
the Alexander Hughes Community Center,
where she did all the trouble-shooting
with the CD player and sound system,
earning the nickname “The Music
Lady.” It was the perfect moniker for
someone who carried a sense of upbeat
harmony wherever she went, Ms. Mason
said.
Ms. Sherwood loved reading and had
an amusing literary quirk. During the
week, she was all business, settling down
to heady historical nonfiction and classic
British literature such as a fat biography
of famed physicist Robert Oppenheimer
and the George Eliot novel Middlemarch.
On the weekend, however, she
relaxed with lighter popular fiction.
Ms. Sherwood also drew a great deal
of pleasure from watching public television,
going to the movies, strolling
southern California beaches with her
daughter and taking advantage of the
Claremont Colleges program allowing
local seniors to audit classes. She was
particularly fascinated by the psychology
courses offered at Scripps.
After being diagnosed with cancer in
2010, Ms. Sherwood was grateful for
what she characterized as “2 wonderful
years,” attributing her resilience to participation
in the senior exercise class.
She died just weeks after learning the
cancer had returned.
“People remember her for her smile,
her laugh and her gentle, friendly way,”
said her daughter, Colleen Bowerman.
Ms. Kaufman was predeceased by her
brothers, Gerald R. Kaufman and Alan
Kaufman. She is survived by her daughter,
Colleen Bowerman, and her granddaughter,
Sydney Bowerman, both of
Claremont; by her son, Daniel Sherwood
of Monroe, Connecticut; and by her
brother, Kenneth Kaufman of Bridgeport,
Connecticut.
Following Ms. Sherwood’s wishes,
there was no service. Plum Tree Apartments,
where she lived, has planted a
flower garden for her many friends there
to remember her.
Donations in her memory may be
given to House of Ruth, 599 N. Main St.,
Pomona, CA 91768.