Sherrill Willard White of Vici, Oklahoma was the son of Claude and Verna (Moss) White. He was born at the family home in Vici on January 29, 1937. Sherrill was the ninth child with four sisters and four brothers to pattern his life after. Sherrill died October 1, 2023, at Vici with his family by his bedside. He was 86 years old.

Sherrill grew to manhood one block from the Vici Public School. He graduated from high school in 1955. He enjoyed sports, quail hunting, band, Future Farmers of America and miscellaneous activities that he preferred to not discuss. It was during this time in his life that a young lady became his major interest. She was the one responsible for him to start focusing on lifetime matters, such as higher education and matters of livelihood. The love of his life transferred to Vici School in elementary school. He married Wanda Allene Care on January 16, 1954. Sherrill and Wanda were the parents of four sons: Neil, Bryan, Mori and Jon Arron. Sherrill and Wanda joined the General Assembly and Church of the First Born on Easter Sunday in 1954.

Sherrill and Wanda pursued a college degree together at Southwestern State College. Sherrill completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree in three years. It was at this time that he started his much-desired position as basketball and baseball coach. His major degree was in Business Education, and he taught business classes for eight years as well as coached athletics.

His basketball teams were quite successful, and he became well known as a basketball coach. He coached two boys as All State in basketball and two Alternate All Staters in a period of eight years. Putnam was state runner-up in 1965. The final 4 years thru 1966 Putnam was rated number 1 in class C basketball. The Daily Oklahoman newspaper recognized him for not losing a home game for three consecutive years.

Sherrill became Superintendent of Putnam Schools in the final three years of his tenure at Putnam. He was employed at Seiling Public Schools following his Putnam employment. It was here that he was successful in writing the first fully funded education program known as PACE, (Project to Advance Creativity in Education). This curriculum emphasized the needs of the American Indian and was fully funded for Custer, Blaine, Woodward and Dewey Counties. The Oklahoma State Department of Education employed Sherrill as a curriculum development specialist. He was an employee of the State Department of Education for the following 24 years. In 2015 Sherrill was inducted into the Dewey County Historical Society Hall of Fame.

Sherrill and Wanda moved to Vici and began enjoying their farm and ranch west of Vici. Sherrill enjoyed many happy hours working with his sons on the farm. I'm sure his sons would agree that at times it wasn't all that happy. And of course, going to all the ball games in the area.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife Wanda of 69 years; his sons Bryan and wife Marilyn, Mori and wife Teri, Arron and wife Stacey; grandchildren Amy White, Kelsey and Cody Kenny, Craig and Becca White, Chris White, Cory and Jade White, Kale and Alyssa White, Alexa and Justin Lecrone, Sierra and Kaleb Roach and Keaton White; great grandchildren Koda, Jaylee, Gracelynn, Emily, Sam, and Leo White, Jaxon Kenny and Luke White; bonus grandchildren Aspen Cook, Linsey and Kyle Kennedy.

Preceding him in death are his parents and son Neil White.

Sherrill's extended family included all his church family and all his former students that he loved dearly. Those siblings that had gone on before were very important in his life. Brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews, he loved them all.

Memorials may be made to the:

Vici Athletics or Vici Educational Foundation

C/O Shaw Funeral Home

P.O. Box 276, Vici, OK 73859.