Obituaries

In Remembrance: Sherman Frederick Wagenseller

Sherman Frederick Wagenseller, born June 22, 1927, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2013 at Belmont Village Sabre Springs in San Diego, surrounded by his loving family. Sherman celebrated his 86th birthday just 10 days prior and the family was blessed to have had that special time with him.

Sherman was born and raised in Los Angeles, but his maternal roots sprang from Chillicothe, Ohio, where he spent many childhood summers on the family farm.  He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1945 and then served in the Navy for a short time and achieved the rank of Petty Officer Third Class, E-4. Sherman went on to study at USC, where he became a lifelong Trojan.

Anticipating the boom that would hit Los Angeles after the war, Sherman enjoyed a career as a real estate broker and entrepreneur, developing industrial properties around LAX and Signal Hill. He was also an investor in the oil and gas business in New Mexico. Sherman remained active in the real estate and energy businesses until his early 80s.

Find out what's happening in Pacific Palisadeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Outside of work, Sherman was an avid outdoorsman and athlete. He participated in almost anything that would keep him physically fit, from golf, tennis, and swimming, to horseback riding and duck hunting. Sherman was also active in local politics.  He was chairman of the Republican Central Committee for the 60th Assembly District and in 1969 he was appointed by Governor Ronald Reagan to the State Hospital Advisory Board. 

While Sherman loved to travel, he was essentially a homebody who loved raising his family in a very special part of Los Angeles called Sullivan Canyon, more specifically on Old Ranch Road. That is where Sherman would don his jeans and cowboy boots and be himself. For more than 50 years, Sherman participated with his neighbors to maintain the tranquility and beauty of the Canyon. He was President of the Canyon Association for many years and informally was looked upon as “an old hand” and sought out for advice on Canyon matters. There was no other place that Sherman would rather be than Sullivan Canyon.

Find out what's happening in Pacific Palisadeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sherman was the only son of Florence and Hudson Wagenseller. He is survived by Janet, his beloved wife of more than 50 years, and five of his six children; Sharman W. Knox, Trent B. Wagenseller, Ward F. Wagenseller, Laine T. Wagenseller, and Scott D. Wagenseller. Sherman’s eldest son, Hudson Whitney Wagenseller, passed away on December 9, 2012. Sherman was blessed with 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Sherman lived a long and satisfying life with his many friends and loving family. He will be remembered fondly as a loving husband, father, and friend and he will live in our hearts forever.

A reception celebrating Sherman’s life will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Bel-Air Bay Club (upper club) located at 16801 Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades. A private burial service will occur at Forest Lawn on Thursday morning.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Sherman F. Wagenseller to The Elizabeth Hospice, (www.elizabethhospice.org) 500 La Terraza Blvd., Escondido, CA  92025 or (800) 797-2050, or to The Alzheimer's Association of Southern California, (www.alz.org/socal) 4221 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90010 or (323) 938-3379.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here