Sherrill Dean Leavitt Mead
1934 – 2016
Sherrill was born June 30, 1934 on a blisteringly hot day in St. George, Utah. On July 8 2016 just 8 days after her 82nd birthday Sherrill died peacefully in Provo, Utah surrounded by her family.
Sherrill was one of 7 girls born to Lester Chase Leavitt and Vilate Webb Leavitt. The sisters were Beverly, Dorothy, Sherrill, Janice, Karma, Dixie, and Lesta. Beverly and Janice proceeded her in death. Their father died in 1940 of cancer when Sherrill was 6 years old. Her mother struggled to keep the family together and later remarried. The family moved to Portland, Oregon in 1943.
Sherrill was educated in the Portland Public Schools and graduated from Franklin High School in 1952.
Sherrill lettered twice in tennis before Title IX and equal athletic opportunities for girls. At the award ceremony there were 3 or 4 girls on the stage with about 50 boys.
After high school she attended Portland State College for 2 years. In 1966 she received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Oregon. She later took a bachelor’s degree in art and design from Brigham Young University. She then taught color and design at BYU for 25 years. As a result of her expertise in color she was invited to help bring the International Color Consortium to the United States.
After Sherrill retired from BYU she continued to do water colors. She loved to share her pictures and cards with others. They are known to hang in homes from coast to coast.
On September 11, 1954 she married her high school sweetheart Donald Eugene (Gene) Mead. They have three children Stanley Lester Mead, Marcia Renee Ellsworth, and Christine Lynn Yates. Her extended family includes 9 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Sherrill often said that she had a wonderful marriage and a wonderful family. She leaves them a legacy of loving the beauties of the earth around us.
Sherrill was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She said, “The Lord has given me so many blessings that they cannot be counted. I leave my testimony that Christ lives and has prepared a place for us with Him. I will be waiting there for all my family to join me.”
