Louise Sherman
May 3, 1933-July 22, 2025
Los Gatos, California
Submitted by Becki Wright
Louise passed peacefully in her sleep early Tuesday morning, July 22 at the age of 92 at The Terraces in Los Gatos, California.
Born on May 3 1933 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Louise was the only child of Della and James Lester Whitney. She was named Millie Louise after her grandmother Millie Hill but used her middle name of Louise throughout her life. She was proud that both her niece – Lindsay Louise and her granddaughter – Barbara Louise – carried her name.
Louise moved to Louisville, Kentucky when she was five. The Kentucky Derby horse race is run there on the first Saturday in May – sometimes on her birthday! When she lived in Palo Alto, she was known for the Derby Parties she hosted for her birthday – complete with Mint Juleps. Often the ladies from her stitchery group attended these parties. She enjoyed sewing and crafts with the Stitchery Group for more than 50 years.
Louise graduated from J M Atherton High School in Louisville at age 16. Her graduation present was a trip to Cuba with her Aunt Lola! She became a Chi Omega when she attended University of Louisville. In 1951, she met the love of her life – Ed Sherman. They became a steady couple even though Ed attended Centre College some 80 miles away.
Ed and Louise were married on March 14, 1953 in a candlelight ceremony at Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville. They honeymooned in California before Ed shipped out for the Korean War – planting her dream of living in the Golden State. Louise told the story that they went up to the Top of the Mark in San Francisco – but because she was just 19, she was not allowed in even with her new husband in his Army uniform.
Louise completed her B.A. in Sociology at University of Louisville while her husband was overseas. Two sons – Stephen Pressley and Whitney J - were born in Louisville Kentucky after Ed returned. But in July of 1960, Ed died suddenly and Louise found herself a widow with two little boys.
Louise remarried and achieved her dream by moving to Palo Alto, California. There she raised her two boys. After her divorce Louise bought her dream home on St Claire Dr where she lived for 42 years. Her grandkids remember many holiday meals that she hosted there – and the Easter Egg hunts.
From 1964 - 1989 Louise worked at Stanford University – starting in the dean’s office and ending as a meeting planner for Bob Hall at the Hoover Institute. She was proud to be the “den mother” for all the economists at the National Bureau of Economic Research who attended the conferences she organized.
Her son Whitney died young – at age 19 – from a car crash. Her son Steve married Becki Wright. Their two children – Barbara and Alan – gave Louise the great joy of being a grandmother. They called her “Weegie” - a childhood nickname. Later, she was able to attend both of their weddings and was thrilled to become a GREAT Grandmother to their children – Nolan and William Platt and Emmi Sherman.
Louise loved to travel – especially to France. Other favorite destinations included the Bahamas, New York and Napa. She shared her love of travel by taking both of her sons and both of her grandchildren on trips to Europe when they were teenagers. She particularly enjoyed visiting art museums and gardens on her trips. Louise took up painting when she moved to The Terraces – and painted from her travels and her visits to Filoli and Vasona Park. She also enjoyed attending live theater – both at home and abroad. Her collection of playbills was amazing.
Louise took up dancing as an enjoyable way to stay active. Her Aunt Lola sent her pretty dance dresses to wear. Louise had always enjoyed playing the piano – and had an awesome collection of sheet music - but dancing was a more social activity.
Louise often joked that she had an “ecumenical religious background” – she began a Baptist, became Presbyterian when she married, attended the Unity Church in Palo Alto for a time and then joined Wesley United Methodist in Palo Alto where her grandchildren attended. When she moved to The Terraces in 2011, Louise joined the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos where she enjoyed the music on Sunday mornings.
During the pandemic Louise was deterred from attending church or social events because she became hard of hearing in her twenties and had learned lip reading – which is hard to do when others wore masks. She preferred having one or two visitors at a time in her apartment – especially when her great-granddaughter got old enough to come over for a tea party.
After a fall in March 2023 Louise was confined to a wheelchair and moved to the Skilled Nursing Center of The Terraces. The staff there took excellent care of her – they knew her love of art and family – and that her favorite color was teal.
Louise is survived by a sister-in-law, Mary Sue Biddle, her son Steve (Becki), two grandchildren – Barbara Platt (Forrest) of Woodland, California and Alan Sherman (Andrea) of Welland, Ontario, Canada; three great grandchildren – Nolan Platt, William Platt and Emmi Sherman as well as a niece (Lindsay Louise Biddle) and a nephew (Perry Harvey Biddle) and their families. She will be remembered for her teal outfits and her love of art, music, theater and anything French.
