John Loren Sherff

In loving memory of John L. Sherff, who passed away on June 10, 2026 at the age of 89. John was the beloved husband of over 64 years to Martha (Peret) Sherff, loving father of Carolyn Sherff, Amy Pike and Juliet Janowitz and father-in-law of Mike McWherter, William Pike and Jerry Janowitz, and cherished grandfather of Patrick and Joey McWherter, Lucy (Pike) Daniel and her husband Paul, Calvin and Jameson Pike, and Haven and Sonja Janowitz.

John was born March 17, 1937 in Blue Island, Illinois and grew up in the Chicago area. He graduated from Purdue University in 1958 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He then moved east to Massachusetts, where he earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1960 and then joined Arthur D. Little as a Management Consultant where he worked until he retired.

John enjoyed traveling, and his work took him all over the globe, including extensive trips to the Middle East and Africa, as well as to Asia and South America. He brought his family along whenever time allowed: to Brazil when his daughters were young, and then later to Mexico City and Malaysia. He and Martha made yearly trips to the west coast after Carolyn moved to California. John took immense pleasure in meticulously planning the annual family summer road trip to visit relatives. Over the years he introduced his daughters to 30 states which fostered their love of travel.

John and Martha raised their family in Lexington, MA. John was an avid gardener, always taking great pride in the abundances of his garden that often resulted in creative ways of cooking endless bushels of zucchini, squash and rhubarb. John’s interests also included nature and classical music (preferably at high volume). There were always several bird feeders in the back yard, and binoculars were always carried on walks, hikes and canoe trips on the Concord River.

When John and Martha retired to Eastham, John had the time to become involved in many of the activities that the Cape had to offer. These included going for nature walks across the Outer Cape and participating in conservation projects such as volunteering as a Mass Audubon Diamond Terrapin monitor. John was active in the Harvard Business School alumni group and a long-standing member of the Chequessett Club, and he and Martha regularly attended Boston Symphony and Cape Symphony concerts.

The family is planning a private service and burial at the Orleans Cemetery in Orleans, MA.