Charles Henry "Charlie" Sherman

Wickford, R.I. - Dr. Charles "Charlie" Henry Sherman, 80, of Wickford, R.I. and Stuart, Fla., died June 4, 2009, at South County Hospital in Wakefield, after a two-year battle with cancer. He was the beloved husband of Elizabeth "Betty" Sherman.

In addition to his wife, Charlie is survived by his daughter, Kitt Lee and son-in-law, James Lee of Benicia, Calif., his daughter, Brett Sherman and son-in-law, Stanton Eckstut of New York City and Westerly; a sister, Beverly R. Shea and great-nephew, Dylan M. Thompson, of Nashua, N.H.; and two grandchildren, Ty D. Lee and Kelda B. Lee of Benicia.

Charlie was predeceased by his first wife, Beverly M. Sherman, who died in 1987 in New London.

Born in Fall River, Mass., on Dec. 16, 1928, the son of the late Stephen R. and Mary E. Sherman, Charlie was raised in Lyndeborough, N.H. and graduated from Nashua High School in 1946. He was one of many New England Shermans descended from Philip Sherman, who emigrated to Massachusetts from Dedham, England in 1633 and later became the first secretary of the new colony of Rhode Island.

As a child in New Hampshire, Charlie developed a strong interest in ships and the sea and dreamed of joining the Navy but was prevented by poor eyesight. However, he excelled at math and science and with the help of a benefactor was able to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving a bachelor of science in physics in 1950. After his first job at TracerLab, Inc. in Boston, he became a research physicist at the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory in New London, and found the opportunity to fulfill his maritime dreams by developing sonar systems for Navy ships. He received the master's of science and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Connecticut and was elected Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America in 1974. He became a prominent expert in underwater transducers and arrays, presenting and publishing over 30 papers related to underwater acoustics. He also worked at Parke Mathematical Laboratories in Carlisle, Mass. and taught advanced acoustics at the University of Connecticut and in the Ocean Engineering Department of the University of Rhode Island. He received the prestigious Decibel Award, which is presented to a scientist or engineer for outstanding contributions to sonar and underwater acoustics. After his retirement from the Sound Lab in 1988, he worked for Image Acoustics, Inc. and in 2007, co-authored a book, "Transducers and Arrays for Underwater Sound", a technical monograph commissioned by the Office of Naval Research and the most comprehensive treatment to date of underwater transducers and arrays.

Living along the shores of southeastern New England most of his life gave Charlie another opportunity to live out his dreams. He acquired his first boat, a catboat, while living on Hamburg Cove in Lyme, and soon became an accomplished and dedicated sailor. For many years, he sailed from his home on Colonel Willie Cove in Westerly, and frequently cruised singlehanded to Block Island, Greenport and other ports on the New England coast.

Charlie reconnected with Betty at a Sound Lab reunion in 1996 and spent the next 13 years enjoying life with her in the seaside towns of Wickford and Stuart.

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m., June 20, at Avondale Chapel, 11 Avondale Road, Westerly.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Sherman's memory to Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island, 169 George St., Pawtucket, RI 02860.

For information and guestbook, visit www.FaganQuinnFuneralHome.com