Robert Lawrence Sherry

His parents, Robert L. and Marjorie D. (Vorel) Sherry, welcomed their son into the world on March 21, 1948, in Salem, Mass.

Bob graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor Degree in Psychology. He later earned his PhD in Economics from Yale University.

He began his teaching career in 1984 with Keene State College as a Professor of Economics. He was well liked by the many students who enter through his classroom door. Bob was very active as both a member of the faculty union and as an advisor to the adjunct faculty union. With his academic training as a labor economist and his past collective bargaining experience, he was a valued member of the negotiating team during a period when the KSCEA (the faculty union) became an equal partner in the administration of the college. He helped raise the quality of the faculty by successfully pushing for increased salaries for new faculty members. This allowed Keene State College to be more competitive in faculty recruiting. He also played a crucial role during the early years in the formation of the adjunct faculty union by bringing his many years of collective bargaining experience to their table, to greatly buttress what was a new experience for many of the adjunct faculty. Bob retired from teaching in 2007.

Bob loved traveling to Ireland; singing with the Keene State College Department of Music, the Keene Chorale, Monadnock Chorus and Orchestra, and the Performing Arts Abroad.

He is survived by his sister, Ann Sheehan of Portsmouth, NH; his nieces, Heather Curley and her husband, Brendan Curley, and their children, Jacqueline and Ryan Curley, of Westford, MA, and Kristen Byrne and her husband, Richard Byrne, and their children David, Emily and Christopher Byrne, of Standish, ME; his closest friends, Tom and Paula Duston of Chesterfield, NH, and Kirby and Patti Santillo of Webster, NY. He will also be greatly missed by his many students whose lives he helped to form as their professor.

Family and friends are invited to call on Saturday, November 20, 2021 from 2:00 to 4:00pm in the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene, NH. All those in attendance are required to wear facemasks and to maintain the physical distancing protocols. Burial will be held privately by the family.

In lieu of flowers, for those who wish, donations may be made in Mr. Sherry’s memory to the American Cancer Society, New Hampshire Division, 2 Commerce Drive, Suite 110, Bedford, NH 03110.