Born March 11, 1934
North Ferrisburgh, VT
Died June 9, 2024
Berlin, VT
Details of services
No memorial services are planned at this time. Memorial contributions may be made to Palliative Care at CVMC, PO Box 547, Barre, VT 05641.
Emerson Warner Shedd, “Warner” to all who knew and loved him, died peacefully on June 9th. He was 90 years old. He was born on March 11, 1934, to Emerson and Eleanor Shedd of North Ferrisburgh, and spent his early years on the family farm, where he learned to hunt, fish, and explore the wilderness – a passion that he shared with later generations. Due to his father’s employment, the family spent his 8th grade year in West Sumner, ME, a place he remembered with great fondness. He graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre, where he lettered in baseball. Warner had a passion for learning. He received his formal education at the University of Maine, Orono, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and obtained an MS in plant dendrology. In 1956, he married Edith Wheeler of Barre. They spent the first two years of their marriage living in a 9-foot-wide trailer in Veazie, ME. When they returned to Vermont, he began a career as an environmentalist, working as a forester for the state of Vermont, an Area Resource Development Specialist for the UVM Extension Service, and as the Northeastern Regional Executive for the National Wildlife Federation. He was an active proponent of scientific management of the state’s deer herd, and was very involved with the Vermont Natural Resources Council and the Vermont Alliance of Conservation Voters. For many years, he raised beefalo, pigs, and made maple syrup on the land in East Calais. Warner wrote many articles, and a column called, “Think Deer!” for the NH Wildlife Federation’s newsletter. He wrote two books: The Kids’ Wildlife Book, and Owls Aren’t Wise and Bats Aren’t Blind, which is still being sold at national parks. He also had considerable artistic talent. Warner had a wide range of deep interests, including the Civil War, North Ferrisburgh history, baseball, food and wine, classical music and opera, and gardening. He and Edie moved to East Calais in 1964, and were very active in Calais affairs, including helping to found the Calais Community Recreation Association and being leaders in the movement to build the Calais Elementary School. They were also enthusiastic supporters of building U-32. He helped coach little league teams, and was a hard-working volunteer with the U-32 baseball team. His greatest interest, though, was always his family. His kindness, generosity, wit, horrible dad jokes, storytelling, editing skills (Oxford comma, yes; comma splices, absolutely not) will truly be missed. In addition to his wife of nearly 68 years, Edie, he leaves his children, Suzy (Bob Purvis), Mark (Ellen), David (Dena Wheeler) and his grandchildren Julia Shedd (Tim Morse), David Shedd (Jessica), and Olivia Flewelling. He was predeceased by his parents and his sisters, Eleanor Shedd Whitehouse and Polly Ann Shedd Smith. Our family wishes to thank his health care providers, who did so much to support him and us: the Health Center in Plainfield, first responders from Woodbury and East Montpelier, and the Emergency Department, ICU, and Palliative Care at CVMC. We are deeply grateful for their kindness and skill.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Emerson Warner Shedd.