— from Kate Schermerhorn and David Schermerhorn Jr. —
It is with immense heartache that we are writing to tell you that our father, David Ker Schermerhorn, who in 2008 made history sailing on the first foreign boat to enter Gaza Harbor in 40 years, died on Monday August 27 at age 89 from a cardiac arrest. He was surrounded by family.
Passionate about the rights of the Palestinian people, Schermerhorn attempted to sail back to Gaza in 2010 as part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The six-boat flotilla was attacked by Israeli commandos in international waters. Schermerhorn lost partial vision in one eye after an Israeli commando detonated a stun grenade on the Challenger 1. He and fellow passengers were taken by force to Israel where he was imprisoned for several days. Israel drew international condemnation for the attacks.
Schermerhorn was a plaintiff in a 2017 lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court against the State of Israel, seeking compensation for injuries sustained in the deadly 2010 attack. While the group made legal history by arguing that Israel attacked American territory when it raided the U.S registered ship, the courts rejected the argument on appeal.
As a final act of support for the people of Gaza, Schermerhorn, at age 88, made a tandem skydive from 18,000 feet, to honor the recent Gazan Right of Return protests.
A producer of television commercials for 35 years, Schermerhorn was partner at Neil Tardio Productions in New York before retiring in 1995. He produced several iconic campaigns, including American Express’ Don’t Leave Home Without It, Just Say No for Nancy Reagan, Lee Iacocca’s long running Chrysler campaign, and Keep America Beautiful. At the time of his death, he was working on a short documentary about an outdoorsman and muskrat trapper in Shasta County, California.
Schermerhorn was a mountain trekker, skier, kayaker, and outdoorsman. He ran the New York marathon a dozen times. He made twelve dog-sledding and cross-country ski trips to the Arctic, from Siberia to Greenland. His last trip, in 2006, was a three-week dog sledding trek to the North Pole, during which he suffered three broken ribs, pneumonia, and frostbite. After a short recovery in the care of a Russian doctor, given “two horse pills and a shot of vodka,” he continued on to reach the Pole.
A veteran of the Korean War, he was on the front line, and later wrote for the US military newspaper, Stars and Stripes. Politically active throughout his life, he engaged in actions against the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and in civil rights issues through the American Civil Liberties Union. He was a friend of ACLU’s founder Roger Baldwin.
David’s mother Elizabeth Ker Schermerhorn was the founder of Fountain House, a support community created in 1943 in New York City for people leaving psychiatric hospitals, the first of its kind. There are now 340 Fountain House model clubhouses in 32 countries, serving 100,000 people. His mother spent the last years of her life in Haiti, where she set up soup kitchens and took up an interest in Voodoo.
Born in New York City in 1929, Schermerhorn was a direct descendant of Jacob Schermerhorn, who arrived on Manhattan island in 1636, and whose family went on to become shipping merchants. Schermerhorn graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Schermerhorn was also a direct descendant of the first acting professor of Chapel Hill University.
He retired on Orcas Island in Washington, before moving for his final years to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Schermerhorn is predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Joan. He is survived by a son, David, a daughter Kate, and grandchildren Sacha, Max, and Leila.
David lived a full and adventurous life right up until the bitter end. Over the past few months, he had gone skydiving as a tribute to the people of Gaza and their Right of Return, marched in anti-Trump rallies, tended bees, traveled to Mexico, and to Alaska with my daughter and myself so we could see the Northern Lights together. He was in the midst of directing his first film, a short documentary about an 80 year old trapper in Shasta County.
David was a lover of life, learning, laughter, adventure, the outdoors, and family, and was driven by a sense of curiosity, moral duty, and a responsibility to his fellow man. He lived by the words of his dear friend, ACLU founder, Roger Baldwin, who told him that you must ‘never lose your sense of wonder.’
In continuing with David’s legacy, we ask that friends commit to one new adventure in this coming year– this will continue on his legacy of adventure and wonder. Donations can also be made in David’s memory to www.mecaforpeace.org/.
A memorial will be held later this year, details will be forthcoming. With sadness, yet immense gratitude…
David was an inspiration to many people, whether you agreed with his political opinions or not. He acted forcefully on his beliefs, and stood strong against those who opposed him. His sense of humor was wicked, and I consider myself lucky to have known him.
David and I were part of the “Orcas Center Repertory Theater” together, and we shared in a couple of major productions. He was easy to work with, notwithstanding his bombastic style, and he was a great pleasure to know.
He was always youthful and energetic, and Jean and I had no idea that he was 10 years senior to me. He and I never agreed on political matters, but I envied his passion and his commitment, and we were friends anyway.
We hadn’t seen him for a couple of years, and knew that he had moved off-island. We’re sorry that we never had the chance to say a final goodbye.
So tenderly and beautifully written.
I wish I knew when he was in NYC. His face is so familiar from the Upper West Side near Lincoln Center. I also wonder if his descendants included William C Schermerhorn, Chair of the Trustees of Columbia University in 1840 who graciously donated $300k (in 1840!) to build the Natural Sciences Hall named after same, Schermerhorn Hall, where I was deeply inspired on so many occassions as it housed the university’s Anthropology Department— which was founded and chaired by Margaret Meade, herself.
89 years young!—such a long and full life.
David was a good friend. I met David shortly after I moved here in 2003. For a number of years a group of us, that including David, Alan Lichter, Bruce Hall, Bruce Lamb, Kate Lichter, and others hiked (trekked) the trails on Orcas Island each Sunday. Politics was the main subject of conversation. David, having lived a very interesting life, was a good anecdotal storyteller. I often said that during these Sunday walks, we solved most of the political problems of the day.
David was a true friend and will be missed.
My heartfelt condolences go to David’s family, David always spoke with such pride of his children and grandchildren, I know that his passing will leave a huge gap in so many lives.
I travelled with David on the boats to Gaza and worked together with him in preparation and crewing. I will always remember with warmth his great sense of humour and the strength of his commitment to standing up against injustice. David put all of us younger crew to shame with the level of energy he brought to our boats and his always thoughtful and knowledgable contributions to our debates were very much valued.
Sail on David, you will be missed
Chris,
I was under the impression that it was the Father of modern anthropology, Franz Boas, of whom Margaret Mead was a prized first generation student, not Margaret herself who founded the anthro dept. at Columbia.
RIP David. BDS lives on
Joe-you’re certainly right about Franz Boaz…who headed the dept and perhaps was the one who had the greatest impact and impression on her younger career; perhaps I’m confused because my other temple, the American Museum of Natural History, just a few blocks from my home in Manhattan— is where she eventually not only found an enduring home, but also her heart. I believe at some point she may have been Chair at Columbia’s dept…but perhaps not since she twice turned down offers of tenureship. She wanted her freedom! Thanks for helping to sharpen my memory.
Back to this tribute, I can’t but help be moved by Schermerhorn’s bravey and courage to the very end—whether or not you agreed
with his politics.
I wish I had known him; he is someone I would have wanted to know; a man who walked his talk, and lived it. Beautiful tribute to someone who obviously lived a full and present life right up to the end.