Dennis Sherwin, 1937-2008
TRIBUTE. Published: December 26. 2008 12:00AM
LIKE Henry David Thoreau, the sage of Walden Pond and the prototype naturalist he so deeply admired, Dennis Sherwin heard a different drummer. And like Thoreau he walked in step with this distant music, charting a highly individualistic course through life that ultimately brought him to his own secluded paradise in Bermuda. And the island should be forever thankful he found tranquility, proximity to nature and a transcendent beauty here both in terms of Bermuda's natural environment and its people. For Dennis Sherwin lavished love, attention and energy on his adopted home in a manner that will ensure he always remains one of Bermuda's favourite adopted sons.
Dennis Sherwin was a man born into wealth and privilege. But he never found any personal satisfaction in the endless amassing of worldly goods and, indeed, gave away the better part of his personal fortune to Bermuda and Bermudians.
He preferred to invest in Bermuda and its people rather than in the markets and possessions. He recognised that the value of those things he cherished most in life, Bermuda's national spirit and its natural and cultural amenities, could never be measured in terms of stock market returns or dividends.
Dennis was born and raised with his two brothers Brian and Peter in Cleveland, Ohio. He came to Bermuda in the early 1970s. Originally he spent holidays here, returning to his home in Georgetown, Washington DC where he worked for the Democratic National Party and the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts.
One of his closest friends was Tom Foley, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives; Dennis worked for Speaker Foley when he was Congressman from Washington State and was later best man at his wedding.
Before long, Dennis had fallen in love with Bermuda, and chose to live here full time, becoming completely involved with the community of his adopted home.
He worked energetically for the Bermuda Festival, the Bermuda National Gallery, and the Bermuda National Trust.
Dennis cared deeply about the arts of all kinds, and was extremely knowledgeable. He was perhaps even more passionate about the environment – and particularly the health of Bermuda's environment during the early days of growth and development in the 1980s.
He did everything he could to help retain the island's most beautiful and ecologically important features, and worked diligently on behalf of the National Trust to protect Bermuda's natural heritage.
"The passing of our special friend and life member, Mr. Dennis Sherwin, has left the Trust immensely saddened," a Trust spokesman said this week.
Dennis, a key supporter of the Trust, served as a member for over thirty years and gave generously both financially and of his time and expertise. Serving as the President of the Trust from 1987 through 1990 he was also a long-time member of the Environmental Committee, a Council member and Patron.
As a recipient of the National Trust's highest honour, The Palmetto Award, Dennis has remained over the years outstanding in service to the community in areas of concern to the Trust.
Dennis possessed a deep love for Bermuda and an unyielding determination to preserve as much of its unique environmental heritage as was possible. He had a vision of an "Emerald Necklace" which would link parks, nature reserves and open spaces across the island, allowing all Bermudians to live in proximity to nature's beauty.
His passion for the environment and kindness through giving provided the National Trust - and, by extension, the people of Bermuda - with the Warwick Pond Nature Reserve and the magnificent Boardwalk at Paget Marsh, appropriately named Dennis's Walk. To ensure that these would forever be places of enjoyment in Bermuda he created an endowment fund for their long term maintenance.
A strong advocate for all that was sound environmentally in Bermuda, Dennis invested enormous effort to ensure developments like the Tyne's Bay Incinerator and the Cruise Port Plan would have minimal negative consequence on our fragile island. He willingly gave of his time for research and discussions far beyond the call of duty in his voluntary roles at the Trust and our respect for his efforts will be everlasting.
People all over Bermuda knew Dennis and his ever-present German shepherd, Rainbow.
An outgoing, friendly and humble person, he enjoyed people from all walks of life. No matter who you were or what you did, he treated you with respect and had no time for pomposity or formality. Dennis opened his house to friends and colleagues working for the causes he believed in, and they would spend hours planning together and working on projects.
Many people comprised his Bermuda family, and notably Dennis was godfather to twins Adam and David Outerbridge, who had a close relationship with him until the day he died, when they were with him at The Cleveland Clinic.
Long troubled by ill health as a result of diabetes, Dennis was admitted to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital on Monday, December 15, and was taken by air ambulance to Cleveland on Thursday. He died there last Friday. Adam and David Outerbridge said: "We feel extremely fortunate to have had Dennis in our lives. He was like a father to us, as well as mentor and guidance counselor. He taught us so much about art, the environment and life in general. Dennis made us the youngest ever members of the National Trust when we were less than a year old – and he never stopped offering us encouragement to become involved in what mattered in the community. While his passing is a great loss for Bermuda as a whole, we personally feel devastated that he is no longer there to talk to. "
We will always cherish the memory of Dennis, for his friendship, his generosity and his unwavering love for Bermuda.
He will always be considered one of the island's most special adopted sons, whose legacy will ensure future generations of Bermudians are able to enjoy the beauty of our natural environment.
David L. White, Chairman Emeritus of the Bermuda National Gallery and a former National Trust president, said it best this week, calling Dennis the "godfather of the environment and of the arts in Bermuda".
"His enthusiasm, his support and his financial generosity will probably never be matched," he said. "Bermuda will be poorer in every sense for his passing."
