John passed away following a lengthy illness on March 14. His initial work experience after graduation was as a stockbroker in Manhattan, but after a few years in that position he moved to Taos, New Mexico, and later to Wyoming, settling in the Jackson Hole area, where he started his own business, Vintage Wines, providing wines from U.S. and European sources to many hotels, restaurants, and individuals across much of Wyoming.
But he never lost his love of music. He was a talented performer on the clarinet and saxophone, and he loved the jazz scene in New York, where he lived across the street from Miles Davis, and enjoyed going to the Greenwich Village jazz clubs, including the Village Vanguard. After moving to Wyoming he regularly attended concerts and was an avid supporter of the Grand Teton Music Festival.
“John was a friend and fellow member of the Yale Band,” says Mike Orlansky. “At football games we marched near each other, John with his clarinet and me on the piccolo. He had a somewhat reserved, serious demeanor, but there was also a playful side to him. While marching, he sometimes made little jokes and clever comments, making it hard for those around him to avoid laughing out loud. During the Band’s tour of Europe, when the tour bus made a stop at a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps, the participants in a spirited snowball fight included both John Sherman and Keith Wilson.”