Obituary of Edith Louise Sherrard

On Friday, July 15th, shortly after noon, Edith Sherrard died at home in Bellevue of symptoms related to Parkinson's disease at the age of seventy-five. Her family and several close friends had all gathered to be with her in her last few days. In 1969, Edith founded Hillside Student Community School and served as its director for nearly 40 years. She believed that students could be both challenged and nurtured, that their gifts could be cultivated, that their light could shine, and that they would share those gifts with the world around them. She gave them a powerful academic foundation, and shared her wisdom about love and forgiveness as necessary to the growth of the individual and society. In Hillside's small classes, she created a safe environment for students to take risks and to try new ideas. She helped them to build the confidence to become leaders. She inspired us all throughout her years of teaching English and administering the school. Born on June 9th, 1936, in Port Angeles to Rev. Lewis and Dorothy Randal, Edith was raised in the Seattle area with sister Leta Rae and brother Edwin. She married Donald Sherrard (now a noted Seattle physician) on June 14, 1956. In the late 1960s, strolling along an Ocean Shores beach with Don, she expressed frustration at the inadequacies of her sons' education. 'You could do better,' he said. 'Why don't you?' And in 1969 she did, starting her own school in her home with her eldest son Jean and four of his friends as its first students. Later, her sons Kael and Nathan also attended. The school - then called Ichthus Student Community - moved to the Luther Burbank Community Center on Mercer Island, and became her life's work, reflecting her unique vision fostering academics and creativity with an abiding sense of community. She pioneered the block system still in use at Hillside today, in which afternoon sessions focus on single subjects, enabling students to dig deeply and immerse themselves. In 1979, Edith found a permanent home for Hillside on Cougar Mountain, amidst five acres of towering fir and cedar forest contiguous with a permanent green belt reaching the Cascades. Since 2008, Edith's son Kael Sherrard has served as the director of Hillside, continuing her vision for a new generation. She leaves behind a family of husband, sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, siblings, and an enduring community of students from over the past forty years. A memorial service will be held on August 6th, 11:00 a.m., at Plymouth Congregational Church. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Edith Sherrard to the financial aid fund of Hillside Student Community, 5027 159th Pl. SE, Bellevue WA 98006, 425-747-6448.