Sherwyn Carr

Sherwyn Leanne (Tingle) Carr, 83, of Boonsboro, MD, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2024. Born in Iowa City, Iowa, Sherry spent her childhood in Newton and Des Moines, where her love for nature and the outdoors began. She graduated from Roosevelt High School and Radcliffe College (magna cum laude) in Cambridge, MA, and later earned her Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Sherry’s life was a tapestry woven with love, learning, and a deep connection to nature. She was an avid gardener, spending countless hours tending to her flowers and vegetables, and she found joy in watching the birds that visited her feeders. Her love for animals was evident in the way she cherished her many cats and horses, particularly Jack, her beloved horse of 25 years. 

Her hands were rarely still; whether knitting baby blankets and sweaters for her grandson, Michael, or sewing her daughter, Melyssa's, wedding dress, Sherry’s creativity and care touched every stitch. A voracious reader, she could often be found with a book in hand and a pile of others nearby, ready to explore the next story.

As a mother, Sherry was deeply caring, cheering on her son at Little League games and attending her daughter’s dance recitals with pride. She delighted in showing her grandson Michael around her farm, climbing haystacks in the barn, and sharing rides on Jack.

Sherry’s professional life was as varied and rich as her personal one. She began her career in academia, teaching at Wayne State University, and later worked as a book editor at the WSU Press. After moving to Pittsburgh, she transitioned into corporate communications and free-lance editorial production of corporate annual reports. In retirement, Sherry fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an independent horsewoman, moving to West Virginia, where she lived out her days surrounded by the natural beauty she loved so much.

She is survived by her children, Melyssa Davis and her husband, Josh, of Brooklyn, NY and David Carr and his wife, Kate, of Washington, D.C.; and her grandson, Michael, of New York City. She is also survived by her brothers, Terry Tingle, of Des Moines, Don Tingle of Cambridge, MA and Danny Harger of Des Moines; as well as her former husband, Bruce Carr, of Des Moines. 

Sherry was preceded in death by her parents, Bert Tingle of Minneapolis and Emma Jones Harger of Des Moines, and her stepfather Orval “Red” Harger of Des Moines.

Per her wishes, there will be no formal services. Her family will hold a private ceremony at a later date.