Alan H. Sherman, W2NIR, 85, of West Long Branch, passed away peacefully at home on December 28, surrounded by his loving family.
Alan was born in The Bronx, New York, the son of Berthold and Belle (Samisch) Sherman. His father, an owner of a custom upholstery shop in Long Branch, died in 1944––when Alan was 7 years old. His mother, a legal secretary for 40 years, died in 1997.
Alan was educated in the Ocean Township and Long Branch public school systems, graduating from Long Branch High School in 1954. While in high school, in addition to participating in cross-country running and track, Alan joined the amateur radio club, which led to a lifelong passion as a ham radio enthusiast. Later in life, he delighted in showing off his latest radio equipment to home visitors, turning on the receiver, and chatting with other amateur radio operators all over the world.
After high school, Alan attended Indiana University and then transferred to Rutgers University, where he earned a B.A. in economics in 1959. He then took a position in finance in New York City, simultaneously attending evening graduate classes at New York University, where in 1963 he earned an MBA.
While working in Manhattan and attending NYU, Alan also enlisted in the Army National Guard, and then later transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve, where in 1961, he was called to active duty due to the Berlin Crisis. It was at the time that he met Judy Kaplan, the love of his life. They met at Loch Arbour Beach Club on Labor Day weekend in 1961 and were married three months later.
Alan and Judy celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary just last month.
In the fall of 1963, after returning from active duty, Alan went on to take a position at CBS as a financial analyst. On November 22, 1963, through happenstance, Alan was on the news floor when word was received that President Kennedy had been shot. He vividly recalled seeing Walter Cronkite in the studio halls that day and watching Cronkite from a monitor in the next room as Cronkite announced to the nation that Kennedy had died. On a much lighter note, a little less than three months later, he was witness to the Beatles performing live on The Ed Sullivan Show.
After continuing to work in finance in New York, Alan eventually hung up his commuting shoes and took a local position as an economist at Fort Monmouth in September 1966, where he remained until he retired in 2004. While at Fort Monmouth, Alan was honored to be the recipient of a one-year fellowship at Princeton University, which was sponsored by the United States government.
In 1972, after suffering from a bout of Tuberculosis, Alan resolved to pick up running again, and he never looked back. He completed 33 New York City Marathons, 3 New Jersey Shore Marathons and several Miami Marathons, as well as countless half marathons, 10k and 5k races and 5 mile races, and when he couldn’t run anymore, he walked and walked and walked, becoming a fixture of the Long Branch boardwalk and beyond.
Alan also continued to proudly serve in the Army Reserve for many years, ultimately retiring as a full colonel. During his military career, Alan was privileged to attend the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Alan was predeceased, in 2005, by his sister, Meryl Sherman. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Judy, his three children and their spouses: Susan and Scott Hildebrant, Eric and Deborah Sherman, and Betsy Sherman, and his sister and her husband, Carole and Stanley Shapiro.
Alan’s funeral will be held at Temple Torat El in Oakhurst on Thursday at 11am. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.