Stanley Thomas Sherrill

Stanley (Stan) Thomas Sherrill of Durham, North Carolina, crossed over into eternity on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. It was a beautiful Spring-like day, and he spent his final hours playing tennis, a sport he loved his entire life. A family friend was there to hold his hand, and she felt surrounded by angels as he slipped away.

Born on March 4, 1961, in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stan was adopted soon after by Rev. Tom and Lou Sherrill (now deceased). At the age of four, Stan and family moved to Minot, North Dakota, where his parents had been called to serve as Baptist missionaries. If it hadn’t been for Stan’s allergies, he would have grown up in Africa. Around 1977, the family moved to Wyoming, and Stan graduated from Green River High.

He returned to North Carolina in 1981 to attend college at Gardner-Webb University. He played on the GW tennis team and majored in Chemistry. The following year, he squeezed into the backseat of a carpool to an away football game and met Terri, his future wife. The two were inseparable from that point on. They moved to Durham after marrying on June 21, 1986. Although they never had children, they raised four corgis and a lab-mix named Max.

In 1991, Stan joined RTI International, where he worked as a QC Manager for the Analytical Sciences team and was well respected for his consistently high-quality technical work. He played RTI softball, joined the bowling league, and was the “teacher’s pet” at RTI’s fitness classes. He was an original member of the Orange Tennis Club and one of the first President’s Club members at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Stan will be remembered for his athletic prowess, generous spirit, attention to detail, and sense of humor. He loved the Minnesota Vikings and the Twins, even when they didn’t deserve it, Carolina basketball, and the Panthers. Topsail Island was his happy place. He attended Hope Community Church and lived his faith more than he talked about it.

He is survived by Terri Sherrill, his wife of almost 35 years, brother Stephen Sherrill and Cate Hartley of Brooklyn, New York, and sister Karen Sherrill King and Terry King of Fort Myers, Florida. Stan was the fun-cle (fun uncle) of five nieces, Fran Robbins Cheeks, Leigh-anna Lampkin Jones, Sherrill Robbins, Avery Lampkin, and Logan Robbins Tucker, and four nephews, Dustin Lampkin, Jon Michael Lampkin, Solomon Sherrill, and Elias Sherrill.

Visitation will be Friday, March 5, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Hall-Wynne Funeral Home in Durham, North Carolina. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 6, 2021, at 11:00 am at Hope Community Church in Morrisville, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hope Community Church in Morrisville (https://pushpay.com/g/hopeccmorrisville) and the Orange Tennis Club (https://www.orangetennisclub.com/stan).