John Paul Sherkus

John Paul (JP) Sherkus, 74 of Dunkirk Maryland died at the hospice of the Chesapeake in Waldorf of liver cancer on February 12, 2025.

He was born in Rochester, NY to Joan Kazakevicius Sherkus and Paul Joseph Sherkus. He attended Catholic grammar school, Aquinas High School and St John Fisher College graduating with a degree in Biology. He spent summers working at his Uncle Als Meat Market and at Kodak to pay for his education. He was drafted after college and enlisted in the Air Force. He spent time at Lackland AFB waiting for an opening in flight school. By 1972 he was at Mather AFB California learning to be an aviator so when he graduated he was assigned the position of Navigator on the KC135 refueling tanker. That training was also in California at Castle AFB in Merced. His first flying assignment was at Mather AFB, CA for 5 years, then to Plattsburgh AFB, NY for another 5 years, then back to Calif to Castle AFB for 5 years. After that he trained to be a military diplomat with the first assignment to Moscow, Soviet Union for 2 years with a title of AF Air Attache. He returned to DC and taught at the Attache school at DIA on Bolling AFB for 2 years. Next assignment was to Kiev, Ukraine as the Defense Attache for the next 2 years. After that he returned to the Attache School at Bolling AFB in DC and taught at the school both as military and then as a federal employee until 2016. 

John met his wife, Phyllis when in Sacramento going through flight school and they were married 13 months later on 3-23-74. During his time in the Air Force and later working at DIA he earned two Masters Degrees. One in Aviation Science and the second in Adult Education. Being in Sacramento they loved to camp along the northern California coast, visit the wineries in Napa and above all they loved their Irish Setters. Through the years they had a mini dachshund and 9 Setters. One Setter remains – Misty and she misses him greatly. No children or grandchildren – just fur babies.

There are friends across the globe who are saddened by his passing. And we have special friends from each location we lived who were and are as close as family especially with our own families in other parts of the US.

JP was twice elected to the Calvert County Republican Committee and volunteered his time to the First Fridays in North Beach from May to Oct every year, the Dragon Boat Races in North Beach and Solomons Island, different events at the AnnMarie Art Garden also in Solomons. Wherever he was needed – he was there. He was also involved with the Republican Mens Club, American Legion and was President of the Dunkirk Area Concerned Citizens Association (DACCA) for many years. 

Anyone who knew him, knew that he was an avid fisherman, deer hunter as well as hunter for birds (pheasants, geese or ducks). He thought nothing of getting up at 4am to go sit in a blind waiting for the deer to show up. He also loved his muzzle loader competitions – every 3rd Sunday of every month, and loved picking out the targets that many shooters complained about being too difficult. He managed to come in first in both rifle and pistol much of the time.

He will always be remembered for his kindness and his willingness to help any who needed help. He loved to cut down trees and to split wood – then sharing the wood with those who had none. He was always in a good mood and I never heard him say an unkind word to anyone. He was a great joke teller and could tell jokes that took minutes to tell. He will be missed by all who knew him and his memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him.

John was preceded in death by his parents Joan and Paul Sherkus, his sister MaryAnn and many Aunts and Uncles. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, his sisters Patricia (Dan) and Judith, nephews - Adam Bubniak (Adriana), Joel Bagley, Isaiah (Chise) and nieces – Amy Bagley and Clare Bubniak Olson (Robbert).

Funeral will be held at Lee Funeral Home Calvert, 8200 Jennifer Lane in Owings MD 20736. Visitation 12-2 Service 2pm Reception to follow at Mama Lucias in Dunkirk. Interment will be held at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, 11301 Crain Highway Cheltenham, MD 20623 Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 11:15 am.

In lieu of flowers we ask that a donation be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake in Waldorf, 2505 Davis Rd, Waldorf MD 20603.