Sharon DeRussy Stillman Cotton Wood

Sharon DeRussy Stillman Cotton Wood, beloved mother, grandmother, daughter and friend, was received in heaven on Saturday, August 30, 2025. Sharon was born in Washington, D.C. to Major General Robert Morris Stillman and Fanny Hoyle Graham Stillman on July 8, 1941, while her father was stationed at the Pentagon.

Sherry, as she was affectionately known, grew up travelling the world as the child of a military officer. Later in her father’s career, he became the first Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy, an important place where she would fall in love with Cadet Lawrence Frank Cotton. They married two weeks after his graduation from the Academy on June 29, 1959. Their only child, Lawrence Robert “Bob” Cotton was born 18 months later and brought immense joy to their lives. They were blissfully happy living the Air Force life with Bob, stationed in various locations around the world. They would stay married for a short 34 years, when Larry died of throat cancer in 1993, leaving Sherry heartbroken.

Sherry found love again in 1995 with another Academy classmate and married Dean Chase Wood on June 30, 1996. They were married until his untimely death on October 19, 2015.

Sherry was a brilliant student, graduating high school two years early from Kent Girls School. She graduated Summa Cum Laude for each of her degrees, a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Education from the University of South Carolina and later received a Master’s Degree in School Administration from Trinity University.

Sherry’s talents abounded in the arts, as she was a talented pianist, a natural artist in her drawing, and sketching skills, and later in life enjoyed gardening, cultivating various flowers and was an avid bird watcher. She was a lover of all animals all her life and always had always at least one dog by her side.

Teaching for 28 years was a vocation that brought great pleasure to Sharon’s life. Not only was she able to share knowledge and skills with her 4th Grade Students. She had an annual Kipling Fair that mesmerized her students, as she found creative ways of making learning challenging and fun. Her entire teaching career was built on her personal motto that all children should feel loved and loveable.

She won countless awards as a teacher at Thousand Oaks Elementary, as teacher of the Year, Teacher of the District and State Awards, as well as favorite teacher. Sherry had a unique relationship with her students in her class that extended long after completing 4th grade. She was always delighted to hear the success of her previous students and always open to give supportive advice when they reached out later in their lives.

Being a grandmother and creating “Camp Wood” at her coast house in Port Lavaca were favorite activities of her life. She loved being a mother, so when she was able to be “Grammy” to 4 grandchildren, she was thrilled. She taught her baby grands to collect seashells, to raise exotic chickens, to read, and to have fun on the beach. She loved seafood and shared her love of all things coastal with them for their two week stay each summer.

Sherry was always willing to be there for the people she loved, whether that meant driving up to take care of the grandchildren on short notice, sometimes for weeks at a time. She made sure that she took impeccable care of them and the house and school routine continued unabated. Despite living in Port Lavaca, she was a very present grandmother for her grandchildren who lived in San Antonio and loved visiting with them and hearing every detail of their lives.

Sherry was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, San Antonio de Bexar Chapter. Her family held a rich military history dating back to the early 1600’s in this country with officers and soldiers for each military conflict in all wars dating back to its origin.

She made each place she lived a home and made sure that her family became active in the church. Faith guided every decision in her life and every activity she participated. When she said she would pray for you, she meant it. Prayers were a serious business for her, and she kept her word and always kept her promises. In her retirement, she was actively involved at Grace Episcopal Church in Port Lavaca, serving on the Vestry, as Jr. Warden and as Sr. Warden.

Though her last years included a long journey through Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons, she never lost her smile, her grace or her special way of making you feel loved, even when words failed her.

Sherry is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lawrence Frank Cotton, and second husband Dean Chase Wood. She is also preceded in death by many loving family members who meant the world to her and now greet her in heaven.

Sherry is survived by her much-adored son Lawrence Robert “Bob” Cotton and wife Ellen Dean Cotton, her dearly beloved grandchildren William Robert Cotton, Jonathan Graham Cotton, Cassidy Rachel HD Cotton and Sarah Ellen Travis (James). She is also survived by her precious great grandchildren Jamie and Charlotte Travis. Her survivors also include family which are cousins but have always felt like immediate family.

Honorary Pallbearers are her grandchildren, and her cousin James Graham Irvine, her uncle, the late Eli Hoyle Graham, and special family friend the late Sgt. Arlester Graham.

Funeral, inurnment and lunch reception will take place at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 315 E. Pecan Ave San Antonio, Texas 78205, 11:00 am on Monday, September 22, 2025. Sherry would love for everyone attending to wear bright colors. Her service will be livestreamed through this link: https://www.stmarks-sa.org/private-stream .

In Lieu of Flowers the family kindly requests that donations be made to: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 315 E. Pecan Street San Antonio, TX 78205 or Grace Episcopal Church P.O. Box 172 Port Lavaca, TX 77979

Please remember Sherry’s motto for her life was to make each person feel loved and loveable. Let us carry this on as we spread kindness and compassion to one another.