Donate to help John Sherman's family

We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear friend John W. Sherman, who was overtaken by depression, and died by suicide on 2/20/2024. John was a loving father to his son Aidan, daughter Skylar, and family dog, Rocky. Because John did not have any life insurance, there will be no formal funeral or calling hours. We invite you to donate to help support John’s children in the wake of this tragedy.

Aidan (22) is a young adult who is trying to make his way in the world while facing a significant amount of student loan debt of his own (~$100K). With the added responsibility of handling his father’s affairs, having no legal pull when it comes to obtaining information about Skylar’s care, and wishing he could keep their family home, Aidan is facing a daunting challenge. The remaining mortgage on the home, and monthly mortgage payments themselves, are significant. It’s clear that John had a deep attachment to his family’s property, which originally was owned by his grandfather. He often shared fond memories of going to “Mex” with his buddies from Rochester in the small trailer on his grandfather’s property. John loved this property because he always felt like he was “getting away”. He loved camping; he loved nature. It was healing for him.

Skylar (15) has been at the Elmcrest Children’s Center, a temporary residential facility in Syracuse, to ensure 24-hour supervision and care for her since John left this world. She has been assigned a case worker who will work with the state to locate a more long-term solution for her care. There is a high likelihood that she will be put into the foster care system. Skylar has numerous developmental, intellectual, and personality disabilities, including but not limited to, epilepsy and self-harming ideation. As a result, she needs 24-hour professional care and supervision for the remainder of her life.

Rocky, their beloved 10-year-old dog, has been moved to the Oswego City Animal Shelter (a no-kill shelter) and is looking for a loving new forever home. She is a kind and gentle Princess. If you are interested in adopting Rocky yourself or know someone who might be interested, you can respond to this GoFundMe directly and someone will get back to you. If you’d like to meet with her you can contact the Oswego City Animal Shelter at (315) [phone redacted] to set up an appointment.

We are raising funds to help benefit John’s children, Aidan + Skylar, during this grim time. Any amount you can contribute will make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your support.