John Alden Sherwood

John Alden Sherwood, a man who was the epitome of “a veritable font of information” lost the battle with leukemia on April 17. John was born in Torrington on October 15, 1948 to Russell and Mildred (Mid) Sherwood, and built his home and raised his kids on the last acre left of the Sherwood family farm in New Hartford.

        He and his wife Nancy Schroeder Perez blended their four children and seven grandchildren into a uniquely loving, supportive family who all embraced their new-found family joyfully. John was the ultimate teacher, always sharing his many areas of expertise with his kids, his friends, his sisters- and brothers-in-law, his grandkids, and anyone who knew enough to come to him before searching on YouTube or Google for “how to” instructions. He was a master carpenter who worked on many homes from Key West to Watch Hill, building anything from custom cabinetry to elaborate libraries to fanciful cupolas. In his later years, he put his extensive knowledge of everything construction - including plumbing, electrical, flooring, carpentry - to work for many people who were very sad when he retired. He loved researching topics that caught his attention for more information, whether it was the various trips he planned with Nancy, or how something was made, or how it came to be. He was the most inquisitive man who shared the fun facts he’d learned with his friends and family. He loved collecting things, most notably, his guitars, and ham radio paraphernalia (for which he held his Amateur Expert  license, the highest level). His twice-monthly poker games with his long-time buddies gave him the opportunity to learn how to bluff successfully (sometimes). 

        His passing has left a huge hole in the hearts of his family, including his wife Nancy and his children Carissa (Kevin), Ian (Brittany), Carlos (Jen) and Alita (Declan) as well as his grandchildren Ayden, Simon, Madelyn, Mikayla, Raegan, Cian and Cormac. He also leaves his brother Alan and his wife Janis as well as his sisters-in-law Barbara Bambakidou (Pete), Joan Schroeder, Laura Schroeder (Kai) and Julie Fabiaschi (John) and many nieces and nephews. 

        John must be playing one of his many guitars somewhere, strolling around strumming and singing a Beatles or Bob Dylan song. He left this world saying “I am the luckiest man alive”, but we were the lucky ones, for knowing him and loving him and learning from him. 

        In addition to his parents, John was pre-deceased by his brothers Russell and Charlie and his sister Evelyn, his sister-in-law Mary Jane Gryniuk and her husband Richie, and his granddaughter Aoife Garvey.

        “If I could live my life over again, I would meet you sooner, so I could love you longer.”

        The family is so grateful to the wonderful oncology team at UConn Medical as well as thankful for the heroic efforts by the team in the ICU who did everything in their power to save John. 

        Friends may call Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00p.m. at Gleeson-Ryan Funeral Home, 258 Prospect St., Torrington. Please join the family in celebrating John's beautiful life on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 11:00a.m.-2:00pm. at the Raymond Family Farm, 18 Ramstein Rd., New Hartford, CT.

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