Roger Wesley Sherman

Roger Wesley Sherman, age 84, of Edgewater, Florida, died Wednesday, September 20, 2017.  He was born in Batavia, New York, in 1931. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Following an honorable discharge, he received his bachelors degree in general science and later an MBA at Rollins College, in Winter Park, FL. After jobs with several companies, Roger worked for the U.S. Army for 32 years as a deputy program manager in the Ground Forces Division of PM TRADE, where he supervised several Army officers and civilian employees in the fielding of various Army training systems. His duties involved him in management of all training systems and devices used to train ground based soldiers in the U. S. Army, In this position, he worked alongside the Project Managers (of which there were many during his tenure) to ensure that training devices were developed and produced in a timely and cost effective manner.

His greatest talent was to take a newly identified training need and develop a plan and strategy for a new trainer to fill this need. He was able to pull together a team of people and used his outstanding technical knowledge and people skills, to develop a program to meet this Army need. He excelled in this capability and always seemed happiest in the challenge.

The evolution of computers, lasers and visual systems, during the 1970s through the 1990s, enabled Roger and his teams to develop training systems, which were significantly more effective than had ever been envisioned. Soldiers were trained to use their individual weapons, missile systems, and tank weapon systems. All of these of training systems were influenced by Roger's hands and the resulting Army was better trained than ever before. These systems lead the world in training capability, influenced current commercial gaming systems, and are still in use today.

Roger loved high school basketball and later he played softball with an Army team in Orlando. He became a scuba diver and underwater photographer, along with his new wife, Stella Bell, in 1979. They went through several iterations of boats until they acquired a 40' Aft Cabin Motor Yacht. Immediately after retirement in 1993, they cruised the Chesapeake Bay and took many more long trips in the Caribbean. After many years of boating they switched to RVs and made trips around the USA, Alaska, and all the western national parks.

Roger spent many years as a Smyrna Yacht Club member, where he managed the Outer Dock Expansion Project in 1998. He added 27 slips on the intercoastal waterway. Mr. Sherman served on the Board of Governors and was always there to help on any projects.  A man with heart; he was always a gentleman and was beloved by his family. He will be sorely missed and we will love him forever.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Gayle; daughters, Debra Smith and Donna Baldwin. Along with his wife, Stella, survivors include daughters Sandi Swearingen, Kelly Campbell, stepdaughters, Christine Elnitsky and Rae Ellen Ware; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

In accordance with Roger’s express wish, there will be no service.

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