LifeStoryNet.com

Life Story Funeral Homes®
The exclusive providers of the Life Story Experience

 

Life Story Funeral Homes®
The exclusive providers of the Life Story Experience

Sherwood Cordier

August 20, 2018
Kalamazoo, MI

//cdn.lifestorynet.com/fh/obituary-default.jpg

Obituary


Print

Died on August 20, 2018 at Rose Arbor Hospice Residence. Sherwood was born on July 28, 1929 in Columbus, Ohio, the son of the late Ralph and Esta Cordier. His parents and his daughter, Gail Cordier Kroske, preceded him in death. He grew up in western Pennsylvania and always remembered the beautiful mountains of that state. Sherwood earned the Doctorate in History with emphasis on Twentieth Century Europe at the University of Minnesota. He joined the faculty of Western Michigan University in 1956, where he taught for 34 years, retiring in 1990. A faculty romance blossomed into marriage when Mary Hurlbut and Sherwood were united in marriage on June 21, 1959 at Kanley Chapel. Sherwood was keenly interested in the peoples and countries of the world, especially those of the British Isles, Europe and Scandinavia. His expertise in international and military affairs won him a NATO Research Fellowship in 1987-89. He was the author of numerous articles and nine books on these subjects, published in England, Germany, and Canada as well as in the United States. Above all, Sherwood was dedicated to classroom teaching, a dedication recognized by the Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence in 1977, and the Cordier Endowment for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching History, Western Michigan University. Sherwood and Mary were imbued with a common passion for music, romantic and contemporary classical, Scandinavian, Celtic, Latin, and jazz. They were staunch supporters of the Fontana Chamber Arts organization. Aircraft and the history of aviation fascinated Sherwood, as his extensive collection of books and models attests. Mountains were an inspiration to him. Sherwood and Mary traveled widely in the mountains of the western United States, Alaska, Canada, the Alps, Scotland, and Norway. In addition to his wife, Mary, Sherwood is survived by daughter, Ann Cordier, Kalamazoo, Michigan, and son-in-law, Gregory Kroske of Martinsburg, West Virginia; and five grandchildren, Christianna Gluys (Ian McGill), Kevin Gluys, and Karina Gluys; and Sara Kroske (Ben Sullivan); and Daniel Kroske. A memorial service celebrating Sherwood's life will be held 2 o'clock Saturday, August 25th at the Langeland Family Funeral Home, Westside Chapel, 3926 South 9th St. Friends may meet the family one hour prior to the service at the chapel. Private burial will take place at a later date. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Cordier Endowment for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching History, History Department, WMU; Fontana Chamber Arts, the Kalamazoo Aviation Museum, or the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Please visit Sherwood's personalized webpage for directions, online guestbook, or to leave a condolence. www.langelands.com.