Rosanne E. Sherry

NORTH SMITHFIELD - Rosanne E. Sherry, 63, of Sahuarita, AZ and formerly of North Smithfield, died May 13, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. Born in Pawtucket, RI, she was the daughter of the late Owen and Carol (Sharkey) Sherry.
As the State Coordinator of the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener Program, Rosie taught thousands of people to be better gardeners. Through her educational efforts at URI, Rosie was instrumental in helping the Master Gardener Program grow to include 700 active volunteers and nearly 100 project sites in Rhode Island and surrounding communities. Her love of nature and laughter was infectious; her legacy will live on through all of the people she shared her knowledge with during her 30-plus year career at URI. After her retirement in 2017, Rosie followed her dreams and moved to Arizona for the sunshine, her health, and of course, for the birds. Earlier this year, Rosie shared her excitement with her Rhode Island friends and family after she earned certification as a docent at the Tohono Chul in Tucson. In addition to birding, Rosie enjoyed race car driving with her friend, Duke.
She is survived by her cousins, Christine Young of North Smithfield and her children, Justin Young and his wife, Michelle of Pahoa, HI and Mary Beth Young of Hilo, HI; Kevin Sherry and his wife, Dottie of North Providence and Alison Clifford and her husband, Mike, Greg Young and his wife, Paulette all of North Smithfield; as well as her beloved cat, Simon and many other friends, colleagues and extended family.
A graveside service will be held Monday, July 1, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Charles Cemetery, Farm St., Blackstone, MA. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Holt Funeral Home, 510 So. Main St., Woonsocket. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Rosies name to the URI Master Gardener Program via the URI Foundation, 79 Upper College Rd., Kingston, RI 02881. www.holtfuneralhome.com