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John Sherman was ARMY

John Sherman Obituary Published by Legacy Remembers on May 9, 2024. Skydiving Pioneer, Innovator Dies at 85 Skydiving legend John Berry Sherman (born Engle) was born February 1939 in Chicago to John E Engle, GM engineer, toolmaker and turkey farmer and Sara Jo Berry (Sherman), NBC fashion editor and radio personality. He was raised first on his father's turkey farm before moving to live with his maternal grandparents in Monterey, TN and eventually to North Attleboro, MA. He joined the Army in 1957, serving in Germany as one of the Army's first LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) for nuclear target acquisitions. There, he made his first parachute jump in 1958. He attended Tennessee Technical University to study engineering but soon found himself engrossed in the folk music scene of Nashville, leading to a stint as a folk musician. An accomplished guitarist, John made his way out to LA in 1961, rubbing noses with budding folk artists such as David Crosby, Peter Paul & Mary, The Kingston Trio and The Smothers Brothers while living and working at a famous LA nightclub called The Troubadour. He met his first wife back in Nashville where they owned the first folk bar and venue called the Third Floor. He eventually settled down in Michigan, working as an engineer for Chrysler Corporation. He was an early advocate for the turn to front-wheel-drive based architectures including his concept for what would eventually become the K-car-based minivan that Lee Iacocca introduced in 1984, a concept for which he was forever proud. In the late 60's, he was reintroduced to skydiving and became obsessed, often leaving work on a Friday afternoon, driving overnight in his custom Dodge van to a weekend skydiving boogie to jump all weekend and hop back in his van and make it back to the office Monday morning. Tired of jumping old, retired military equipment, as was common in the day and already being an accomplished parachute rigger, he began to experiment with equipment design. John invented the first modern "piggyback" harness/container system to be issued a single-unit certification by the FAA. It was dubbed the SST (Super Swooper Tandem, based on a nickname given to John by legend of the sport Ted Strong), which later became the Racer, revolutionizing the sport. As a leader in the skydiving industry, he introduced new design concepts, such as the pull-out pilotchute, main riser covers, anti-line-strip deployment bags, Teflon cutaway cables, the anti-float bag and container concept, the first truly elliptical main parachute, first tandem system with a 3-point drogue release incorporated into the cutaway handle and countless other safety features that have been emulated by other parachute equipment manufacturers. He was a founding member of the Parachute Industry Association, served as Technical Committee Chairman of the PIA, created the first PIA electronic bulletin board system, including the popular "rec.skydiving" forum on the Internet. John was the first U.S. skydiving competitor to Medal in what was then, all of the disciplines of Speed Style, Accuracy and Relative Work, in National Competition. He was instrumental in introducing Relative Work as part of U.S. National Competition, having written the rules for the original 4-way event. He pioneered Ten-Way Speed Star techniques that are still in practice today, designed the first 3-Dimensional skydives, and was largely responsible for the successful design of the first 200 Way World Record Formation as well as many other monumental skydiving formations. John was meet director for the first Thanksgiving Day "10-Man" Meet in 1969, later the "Turkey Meet". Notably, John has been a teacher and mentor to hundreds of riggers who now serve their skydiving communities around the world. He has trained some of the most successful riggers in the world. Virtually every major U.S. manufacturer has trained under Sherman or has consulted him to improve their products and processes. 1987 he started a new company called Decel and was awarded a grant to redesign the Mid-Air Refueling "Probe and Drogue" system used by the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force. John received a U.S. Patent, for the design, which was to become the NATO standard. John lived many lives, more than most, and like a cat, survived many deaths including a car crash in 1964 where he died for six minutes, a plane crash, several parachute test-jumping incidents, a heart attack in 1990, a stroke in 2021, but ultimately met his match with a carton of milk (he loved milk) from McDonalds. John is survived by his wife Nancy, sisters Patty, Marty & Judy, daughters Margaret (Chase), Eliza Beth (James), son Johnny and grandchildren Quela & Thomas.

Parachute Industry Association's Post John Sherman, a significant figure in the world of skydiving and a cherished member of the community, passed away at 85. Renowned for his contributions to the sport, John played a crucial role in advancing skydiving technology and safety. John's skydiving journey was defined by his unwavering dedication to enhancing the sport. As the founder of Jump Shack, he created the acclaimed Racer canopy system, setting new benchmarks for safety and reliability. This innovative system has earned widespread respect and use within the skydiving community. Beyond his technical achievements, John was celebrated for the deep bonds he formed within the community. Friends and fellow skydivers often commemorated his milestones, reflecting on their shared adventures and the lasting impact he had on their lives. John Sherman's legacy endures through the numerous skydivers who rely on the systems he developed and the safety standards he championed. He will be profoundly missed by all who knew him and by the many who benefit from his life's work.

One of the original Herd members and instrumental in bringing big planes to the United Parachute Club. Also organized the annual Herd boogie.

Books by Jim Hooper.

Johnston Atoll, in middle of the Pacific Ocean, is where Bobby V worked for a subcontractor in 1996. I was there with the Base Operations Contractor as Quality Assurance Manager. I walked into the mail room and there was Bobby V waiting to get his PO Box, we recognized each other immediately.

Jim and Jeff also Jim and Phil Smith.

Jim Hooper has died of Cancer. He told me about his condition months ago and asked I not say anything. This a cut and paste of Roland Hilfiker’s post in Facebook Old School Skydiving. Jim Hooper the former owner and operator of the Zephyrhills Parachute Center, passed away on 12 January at the age of 82. Jim was a guy who left his marks on skydiving like hardly anyone else by running what was the world’s leading drop zone between the early 70s and 1983 (including the Turkey Meets), by staging the 1981 World Meet in Relative Work there, and by fostering Canopy Relative Work with the first international competitions around the same time . He retired from what he referred to as dispensing “fun and frolic” liberally to an entire skydiving generation in 1983 and became a war correspondent in Africa and in the Balcan. Author of several books and regular contributor to the Soldier of Fortune magazine, he reported on conflicts big and small from which the other journalists stayed away. Godspeed Hoop! And thanks for everything you did for us. My life would not have been the same without you!

Viewing For Bobby V will be held Saturday January 6 at Martinez Funeral Chapel (2580 S 6th Ave, Tucson) at 11:00. From there, we will ride to VFW in Marana. Followed by a military service at Marana VFW Post 5990 (15850 W El Tiro Rd, Marana, AZ) at 3:00. They will do a fly over and release his ashes. There we will celebrate his Life......donations will be collected to pay for services. Spread the word please.

From Dale Grady. Bobby Valenzuela passed away on Sunday after A motorcycle accident in Arizona. To say Bobby V was larger than life is like saying the ocean is big. Bobby was a true legend and lived a life worthy of a novel or a feature film. ————————————————— Many comments and photos on Facebook.

High Time Skydiving Enterprise. Harleysvill, PA Marc Nadeau is offering a Senior Rigger course October 16-23. Contact Marc at 610-442-7500 or [email protected] for more information.

It was a D-18 over Coolidge Arizona. We first started “hang loads” as we named it in 1976, made the headlines in 1977. Carl Boenish did the filming at Coolidge in 1977. Tony Gonzales took the famous photos that made the news paper’s and posters. That’s me on the wing, white suit blue rig with WSCR patch. I have been answering questions and Bull Shit statements about what happened for many years. So many people who were not there and only heard rumors think they know it all.

Yes, open all year with events.