Uncle Chuck: 1922 - 2005
Oct. 26th, 2005 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
patoadamMy uncle/cousin, Charles Sherover, passed away Sunday, October 23, at the age of 83. Although he was my first cousin once removed, I knew him as "Uncle Chuck".
During World War II, Charles worked in military intelligence, decoding Japanese messages.
Charles later became a distinguished philosopher, teaching at Hunter College of the City University of New York. He wrote extensively on the subjects of time and democracy. He gave Václav Havel advice on how to foster democracy in the Czech Republic. His favorite philosopher was Kant, whose "Critique of Pure Reason" he translated into English. He also translated Rousseau's "Social Contract". I presume he felt that previous translations were inadequate.
Although his health was clearly declining, his death was sudden. When we find out the cause of death, probably a heart attack or stroke, I will add a comment here.
Charles was an intellectual whose life revolved around books rather than people, but he also lived for his cats. He said that he had recovered from a previous life-threatening illness only because he felt that his cats needed him.
Uncle Chuck was very good to me when I was growing up. I enjoyed his visits, and I enjoyed visiting him in New York. Over the years, we had many lively discussions of philosophy, history, and politics.
When I get the official obituary I will post it here.
During World War II, Charles worked in military intelligence, decoding Japanese messages.
Charles later became a distinguished philosopher, teaching at Hunter College of the City University of New York. He wrote extensively on the subjects of time and democracy. He gave Václav Havel advice on how to foster democracy in the Czech Republic. His favorite philosopher was Kant, whose "Critique of Pure Reason" he translated into English. He also translated Rousseau's "Social Contract". I presume he felt that previous translations were inadequate.
Although his health was clearly declining, his death was sudden. When we find out the cause of death, probably a heart attack or stroke, I will add a comment here.
Charles was an intellectual whose life revolved around books rather than people, but he also lived for his cats. He said that he had recovered from a previous life-threatening illness only because he felt that his cats needed him.
Uncle Chuck was very good to me when I was growing up. I enjoyed his visits, and I enjoyed visiting him in New York. Over the years, we had many lively discussions of philosophy, history, and politics.
When I get the official obituary I will post it here.
obituary
Date: 2005-11-07 06:18 pm (UTC)Charles Milton Sherover, age 83, of Santa Fe, NM, formerly of New York City, NY, died October 25, 2005 in Santa Fe, NM.
[cutting the "survived by" and "services will be held" stuff]
Contributions to his memory may be made to The International Society for Time Study, Josiah Royce Society, The Nature Conservancy or the Animal Medical Center, 510 E. 62 St., New York City, NY.
Charles graduated from Oberlin College, served in the Army Signal Corps during WW II. He then did graduate studies at Northwestern University and received his doctorate from New York University in Philosophy. He joined the faculty at Hunter College, University of New York in 1963, where he became full professor, served as Department Chair of the Philosophy Department, College Ombudsman and Chair of the Senate and Professor Emeritus in 1990. He also was a visiting professor at Emory University.
Dr. Sherover was instrumental in organizing the New York Young Republicans and served as President from 1950 to 1952. His father, Maximillian "Max" Sherover, founded the Linguaphone Corporation of America. After his father's death, Charles assumed the Presidency of the Corporation where he was responsible for introducing the first audio tape learning system for the Latin language. He founded the Educational Resources Corporation in 1965.
He was the author of numerous books, including Heidegger, Kant and Time (1971), The Human Experience of Time (1975), Time, Freedom, and the Common Good (1989), From Kant and Royce to Heidegger (2003), Are We In Time, and Other Essays on Time and Temporality (2003). He edited The Development of the Democratic Idea, translated and edited Rousseau's Of the Social Contract and On Political Economy. He was a member of the American Philosophical Society, The Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, The Society for Phenomenological and Existential Philosophy, The International Society for the Study of Time, and numerous other scholarly organizations.