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Paul Dorsey Sherman Sr., 88, formerly of Elkins, passed away Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, at Stonebridge Retirement Community in Skillman, New Jersey.
Born in Elkins on March 1, 1935, he was the son of the late Paul E. Sherman and Mildred Sherman.
Dorsey was a standout athlete, excelling in basketball, football and track at Elkins High School. He was well known for propelling Elkins to the West Virginia state basketball championship game as a freshman in 1950. Dorsey made a free throw with 26 seconds left in a quarterfinal game to defeat the defending state champions and pave the way for Elkins to reach the finals. He was later inducted into the Randolph County Secondary Schools Athletic Hall of Fame.
A graduate of Davis & Elkins College, where he played basketball, and the University of Virginia, Dorsey was a retired coach, teacher and principal with more than 30 years of dedicated service to Bedford County Public Schools (Virginia). He played a significant role in the establishment of Liberty High School in Bedford, Virginia, and became the school's first head basketball coach.
Dorsey was also a veteran, who served for two years as a soldier in the Army Signal Corps.
He was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Bedford, Virginia, and gave back to the community by volunteering as a youth sports coach and official for several years.
In retirement, Dorsey's favorite pastime was spending time with his late wife of 51 years, Margaret F. Sherman. Dorsey and Margaret enjoyed traveling around the world and visiting with their children and grandchildren. Dorsey also stayed busy working as an assistant in the funeral service business and teaching driver's training for Bedford County Public Schools.
In addition to his wife and parents, Dorsey was preceded in death by a sister, Aletha Sherman Gardner.
He is survived by a son, Colonel (Retired) Paul D. "Chip" Sherman Jr., and his wife, Lourdes, of Lorton, Virginia; a daughter, Margaret Sherman "Nicki" Draper, of Princeton, New Jersey; a granddaughter, Sarah Jo Draper; and grandsons, Westley Draper, Ruben Pagan-Ramos and Ricardo Pagan-Ramos; as well as several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please consider the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, or a charity of your choice.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at Main Street United Methodist Church in Bedford, Virginia, with the Rev. Dr. Dawn Compton officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery in Bedford, Virginia.
The family will receive friends Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, beginning at 5 p.m. at Updike Funeral Home, Bedford, Virginia.
Arrangements by Updike Funeral Home, Bedford, Virginia (540) 586-3304).