Throughout his life, Don Sherratt touched the lives of countless others in a most positive way, whether as a park director, coach, teacher, administrator, in his work with the Boys and Girls Club of Alameda or in the many of the other roles in which he served his community.
He knew a lot of people, and many in the community knew him. Even those not personally familiar with Sherratt knew of him via reports in the Alameda Journal, and, before that, the Alameda Times-Star.
Many current and former Alamedans — and lots of other people— were saddened to learn of Sherratt’s death July 10 at age 83 after a short undisclosed illness. Hundreds of mourners packed Christ Episcopal Church at a funeral for Sherratt on July 26, which would have been his 84th birthday.
“His dedication to bettering the lives of Alameda’s youth and teens was felt in every event he attended, idea he presented and program he improved,” the Alameda Boys & Girls Club (ABGC) said in a statement. “Having a true understanding of the needs of our community’s children, Don’s expertise helped our programs and services flourish.”
Other tributes quickly followed.
“Through the years, my interactions with Don were through the Boys and Girls Club of Alameda,” said Kathie Woulfe, who has also long been involved in Alameda activities. “He was a constant reminder for me of how to quietly ‘lean in for our youth.’ He exemplified compassion with a mutual respect for the youth served at the Boys and Girls Club.”
For Woulfe, the connection to the Sherratt family goes back even further, having graduated from Alameda High School in 1964 with Rich Sherratt, Don’s younger brother.
“Don married Margie Burns Sherratt, my friend from the AHS class of 1965. They have shared a life of love, family and community service,” Woulfe said.
A lifelong Alamedan born to Gladys and Harry Sherratt on July 26, 1939, Donald Robert Sherratt grew up loving his native city, and Alameda returned that love. Sherratt showed athletic prowess from an early age, especially on the baseball diamond.
A post dated June 28, 2017, on “Playball! — Alameda’s Sandlot Blog” recounted an August 1954 Times-Star story that told of Sherratt as a third baseman with a sure glove, strong arm and potent bat as he hit .818 to lead the Lincoln Park Dodgers to the East End championship of the Alameda Recreation and Park Department’s (ARPD) Police League.
Sherratt also played on the Lincoln team that had won the East End title a year earlier. Having previously attended Mastick and Haight schools, Sherratt graduated from Alameda High in 1957 and continued playing baseball when he went on to Contra Costa College and then Fresno State College (now Fresno State University).
While in college — and even after graduating — Sherratt continued his Alameda involvement as a park director for the ARPD and went on to the former Haight Middle School to begin an education career of more than four decades in the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD).
After earning an administrative credential and master’s degree from what was then Cal State Hayward, Sherratt became a vice principal at Wood Middle School. During this time, Sherratt met Margie Burns, a teacher at Wood Middle. They married on Oct. 21, 1972, and became a family with Don’s daughter, Heidi. The Sherratts later added three more children to the family: Jennifer Lyn, Joy Burns and Jeffrey Donald.
Continuing with the AUSD, Sherratt served as principal at Woodstock Elementary and Chipman Middle schools as well as vice principal at Alameda High. He later served as the district’s director of personnel and human resources before retiring in 2001.
Sherratt had also served on the board of the directors for the ABGC since 1982 (and as board president in 1986-87). He served too on the Alameda Recreation Commission, with the Alameda Little League and for 12 years as a director on the Alameda County Fair Board.
A 40-year member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Sherratt more recently served on the AHS Athletic Hall of Fame Board. He also was the campaign chairman for the 2014 school bond Measure I, which Alameda voters passed.
To honor Sherratt, the ABGC has named its new college and career readiness center the Don Sherratt Diplomas to Degrees Center, which will operate year-round to ensure that students receive support and resources to go to college.
In addition to Margie, his wife of more than 50 years, and his brother and sister-in-law, Rich and Susan Sherratt, Don Sherratt is survived by his children (and their spouses), Heidi Sherratt Bogart (Scott), Jennifer Sherratt Abrahamson, Joy Sherratt Branson (Chris) and Jeff Sherratt (Elisabeth).
Also surviving him are grandchildren Brewer Bogart, Aidan and Brooke Abrahamson, Colby Reyes Branson, Maggie and Callum Branson and Logan and Olivia Sherratt, as well as his many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Don Sherratt was preceded in death by his parents and by his son-in-law, Eric Abrahamson.
To honor Don Sherratt’s memory, donations can be made to the Don Sherratt Diplomas to Degrees (D2D) program at the Alameda Boys and Girls Club, 1900 Third St. Alameda, CA 94501.
Mike McGreehan is a former sports writer for the Bay Area News Group who especially enjoys soccer and baseball.