Sherwood was born on July 19, 1924 in Grenada Mississippi and had recently celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends. Sherwood was the son of Joe Miles Smith and Winnie Amelia Smith. He was called Sherwood by everyone except his mother and dad who called him Brother. When his mother was asked where they got the name Sherwood she stated that she had read the book Robin Hood and liked the name Sherwood Forest in the book. Sherwood’s daughter Sharon could not be content with that and during her family research she found that Sherwood’s family originated in Nottinghamshire in England back in the 1500’s. Thomas Smith, a Presbyterian minister was Sherwood’s first ancestor to come to the Colonies in America from England around 1620 after Jamestown Virginia was established.
Sherwood went to School in Grenada and was in High School when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was only 17 when he joined the Navy after the US entered World War 2. He was in the Navy armed guard on a ship off shore at Omaha Beach on D Day and later in the war he was assigned to The USS West Virginia which had been sunk at Pearl Harbor. The ship was repaired and brought back in service. On the West Virginia Sherwood was the gunner’s mate and was on the West Virginia with American carriers in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrendered on the deck of the USS Missouri.
After the War Sherwood met the love of his life Mary Taylor at the Grenada airport and followed her home to Chicago where he soon proposed. They were married on October 4 1947 in Chicago Illinois. They had three children Sharon (Ray) Enright, Barbara (Jimmy) Maxwell, and son James (Jamie) Sherwood Jr.
Sherwood was preceded in death by his father Miles, Mother Winnie, brothers Miles Jr.,
Carl Russel, and Harry Thomas, and sisters Jewel Patton and Betty Lou (Jim) Winfield and his grandson Jeremy (Sarah) Maxwell.
He is survived by his Wife Mary; daughters Sharon Enright, Barbara Maxwell, and son James Sherwood Smith Jr. (Jamie); grandsons Josh (Carrie) Maxwell and Jeff (Rachel) Maxwell, four great granddaughters, Alyssa, Alexia, Ruby Claire and Charity Maxwell, and one great grandson Jackson Maxwell.
Services to Celebrate Sherwood’s life will be held on Saturday Sept. 7, 2024 at Memphis Funeral Home 3700 N. Germantown Pkwy Bartlett Tennessee 38133 with Visitation between 9 and 10 AM and Funeral Service at 10 AM. Sherwood will be buried at Smith Family Cemetery 9145 Cascilla Road in Tallahatchie County Mississippi at 2 PM.
