Sherwood Fender Obituary (1940 - 2023) - Beaufort, South Carolina

Sherwood N. Fender, 83, husband of Martha B. Fender, of Beaufort, SC, died Friday, August 25, 2023. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home. DUE TO THE WEATHER SHERWOOD'S FUNERAL HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO; ****Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at 2:00pm at St. Helena's Anglican Church with interment in St. Helena Cemetery.**** He would tell us to end this here but knows we don't listen well and will just have to tolerate our collective disobedience one last time. For once...we get the last word. Sherwood was born on July 21, 1940, in Charleston, SC. He is the son of the late Minnie L. Malphrus Lee and Norman P. Fender. Growing up in rural Jasper and Hampton counties, Sherwood was a self-proclaimed country boy. From a young age, he loved the land's bounty, relishing in fresh fruits and vegetables, fowl in the air, game from the fields, or seafood from the "rivah". One of his favorite pastimes was giving away whatever he harvested, reeled in, shot, found, or otherwise obtained. Throughout his life, he firmly believed the more you gave the more you received; and taught all to give abundantly expecting nothing in return. Sherwood attended high school at Estill High where he met and befriended his lifelong buddy, Carl Bowers. During high school, he drove the school bus. We hope he drove that bus better than he drove anything else for the rest of his life. For Sherwood, "over the river and through the woods" didn't just apply to four-wheel drive trucks. Tractors, town cars, sports cars, and duallies all qualified as off-road vehicles. Sherwood obtained his undergraduate education at Berry College in Rome, Georgia where he made and served ice cream to all the pretty ladies. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina. For close to fifty years, he was a member of the Bar and practiced law in the Beaufort community. His early career was with the prestigious Dowling Law Firm eventually becoming a sole practitioner until retirement. From many local subdivisions to a mountain in North Carolina, Sherwood's fingerprints are on them all. He had instant recall of who owned what home or property and when. Often giving directions not by street names or locations but instead by a convoluted set of instructions informed by prior home ownership, empty fields, and random landmarks. A scholar, lifelong learner and an avid reader, Sherwood was as comfortable reciting Yeats as he was fishing in a hole somewhere in the woods he shouldn't be in the first place. He was as comfortable with the pauper as he was with the professional. And....he never met a stranger. In fact, he sold his last home at a seafood stand to someone he happened to strike a conversation up with. With a spirit of service, Sherwood spent time as a Rotarian. He and Martha were members and competitors of the National Cutting Horse Association. They competed in numerous futurities in their younger years. He loved patronizing local eateries, which undoubtedly was the highlight of many of his days. He also loved to feed others and wasn't a bad cook either, dishing some of the best Southern food you can imagine. It was never healthy but always good! Sherwood's child-rearing tactics were original: from leaving imaginary friends at gas stations to changing diapers by hosing babies off to misplacing, just for a minute, a child at a football game. Despite his best attempts at failure, his proudest accomplishments were all of his children. He and Martha also spent time as foster parents to children he considered his own, even still. Sherwood chose a life of decency, service and generosity; without doubt, he is resting in peace. Many who will read this will have known him; he loved you and kept his heart open with this love - this was sincere and genuine. Surviving in addition to his wife, Martha; are two sons, Sherwood "Woody" N. Fender, Jr., and Addison D. Fender; two daughters, Kimberly B. Massey, and Meagan W. Fender; one brother, John David Boyles, and one sister, Phoebie Ferguson; seven grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family, and lifelong friends. Sherwood was preceded in death by his mother, father, and sister, Laura Gwendolyn Boyd. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Child Abuse Prevention Association, PO Box 531, Beaufort, SC 29901. The family will host a much less appropriate celebration of his life in a month that contains an "r" so we may serve oysters and perhaps his dear friend Walter's barbecue.