Dorothy " Scotty" Sherak

Dorothy (Scotty) May Sherak, age 98, passed peacefully away on March 2nd, 2022 in Raton, New Mexico. She was preceded in death by her husband (Col. John W. Sherak), her parents (Amos and Bess MacDougall) and siblings (Burdett, Paul, Mernie, and Betty). She is survived by her three sons and their wives (John W. Jr. and Patti Sherak, Mark A. and Kimberle Sherak, and Richard P. and Jennifer Sherak). In addition, Scotty is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Scotty was born in the upstate New York town of Fulton on October 19, 1923. The fourth of five siblings, she grew up in Fulton, graduated High School, and then bravely answered her country’s call to war by enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1943. Stationed in Atlanta GA, she taught the Link Trainer flight simulator to prospective Navy pilots. In the winter of 1945, Scotty met a dashing young Army pilot, Lt. John “Willie” Sherak, on a north-bound train to New York City. After a short engagement, she left the Navy and they were married on June 30, 1945, at the Emory University Chapel in Atlanta.

Over their 53 years of marriage, Scotty was a devoted wife and loving mother to her three rambunctious boys.  As a military family, they lived in many different states and countries. She was always very proud that each of her three sons were born in a different country: John - El Paso, USA; Mark – Frankfurt, Germany; Rick – Goose Bay, Canada. Since she was a little girl, Scotty truly enjoyed the great outdoors and had many interests and hobbies such as hunting, camping, fly fishing, swimming, snow skiing, and shooting sports. She was an extremely talented artist and artisan throughout her life, working with multiple mediums including oil painting, sculpture, pottery, and woodcarving. Having an incredibly “green thumb”, Scotty was a master outdoor gardener and always had the most beautiful houseplants in her home that were admired by all.  An insatiable reader since her childhood, she was always reading novels particularly loving her wild-west stories and historical themes. Finally, Scotty was noted for her amazing sewing, knitting, and crochet skills, and created many beautifully crafted handmade items for herself, friends, and relatives over the years.

In November1998 her cherished husband, Col. John W. Sherak passed away in Colorado Springs at the age of 82. Scotty then moved to Arvada, Colorado in 2000 where she tended her garden, talked to her pond fish, and created a peaceful corner of the world for over 20 years.  In February 2021, she moved to Raton, New Mexico to live with her middle son, Mark, and her daughter-in-law, Kimberle.  Known as “Ms. Scotty” by the Raton locals, she was befriended by many and was gently cared for until her passing on March 2, 2022.

Scotty lived a full, exciting life for almost a century, and was a true inspiration and blessing to all who knew her.  She will be greatly missed, and her contagious laughter, sage wisdom, and sharp wit will be remembered fondly with a smile.