Sherrin Lee Greenlaw

Sherrin Lee (Rhodes) Greenlaw died peacefully on September 27 at Howard County General Hospital after a brief illness. She was 77.

The oldest of three siblings, Sherry was born on July 16, 1947, at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. Her father’s Army service and ensuing station assignments allowed Sherry, her sister, and her brother to grow up as “Army brats,” with time spent in Japan and Germany before returning to the DC suburbs, eventually settling in Howard County, MD. She graduated from Glenelg High School in 1966.

As a teen growing up in the 1960s, Sherry – and all her friends – became enamored with Elvis Presley, and her appreciation of his music followed her for the rest of her life. Sherry’s career began at Hittman Associates, the first engineering firm located in Columbia, MD, before moving to Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel. She found her footing working in Human Resources at General Electric’s Columbia, MD location. Sherry remained at GE until she retired, more than 30 years later.

Sherry met her future husband, Albert “Buzz” Greenlaw, while skating at the Bladensburg Rollerskating Rink. She enjoyed the joyrides on Buzz’s motorcycle, despite her father’s advisements against such activities. They were married at Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church in Columbia, Maryland, on August 8, 1970.

Buzz and Sherry spent much of the 1970s in Silver Spring, Maryland, before moving to Meredith, New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, Sherry loved boating and hosting friends and loved ones at the family cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee. Sherry’s creativity found an outlet sitting at a sewing machine, as she developed into a talented seamstress and quilter. She regularly sold her creations at craft fairs; quilts she made remain treasured gifts amongst her family and friends.

Despite living in New Hampshire for more than 30 years, Sherry never tolerated cold weather and found many opportunities to visit beloved friends in Florida, and she particularly enjoyed traveling to visit her sister and nephew twice when they lived in England.

A quietly religious woman, Sherry often found comfort in her faith while living in New Hampshire and upon her return to the Maryland suburbs in 2007.

Sherry Greenlaw was pre-deceased by her husband of nearly 54 years, Buzz Greenlaw, and her parents, Edgar David and Elizabeth Pitzer Rhodes. She is survived by her sister, Carol Gulick Metzer, brother David Rhodes (wife Toni Rhodes), niece Sydney Rhodes, nephews Spencer Rhodes and Mathew Gulick (husband Jeffrey Raver), and many cousins, friends, and extended family from coast to coast.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, October 20 from 2-4pm at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., located at 1411 Annapolis Road, Odenton, MD, 21113. Words of pastoral comfort to be delivered at 3:15pm, with a moment of sharing to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.St.Jude.org) or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (www.T2T.org).