SHELDON GERALD SAX

CORNWALL — Sheldon Gerald Sax passed away on Aug. 8, 2024, at the age of 76, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born in Toronto, Canada on Aug. 31, 1947, to Irving and Lillian Sax. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a homemaker. Shel graduated from the University of Toronto and later obtained a master’s degree at Simon Fraser University. He worked at Middlebury College for 34 years, mostly in educational technology — helping professors and staff better use technology in the classroom. Before that he built acoustic guitars for a living.

Shel was a true mensch and family man. He was humble and modest, even for a Canadian. He liked to play the guitar, watch hockey, wear slippers, and stay up late. He had a sharp mind and an exceptional vocabulary. He could stack an incredible number of suitcases into a car trunk with the touch of a Tetris grandmaster. And he made a bed with perfect hospital corners, a skill he attributed to years at summer camp.

He loved to golf with his like-minded friends and spent many hours traversing the Ralph Myhre Golf Course. He appreciated a good joke and had a clever wit. He was opinionated, especially about current events, and more than happy to share his views. His close friendships from school, summer camp, and university lasted his entire life.

He is survived by his beloved wife Peggy, who is a psychologist in Middlebury. They first met while picking fruit on a kibbutz in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border. Shel and Peggy were married for 52 years. He will always be immensely proud of his two sons. Peter is an Assistant United States Attorney and lives with his wife Molly in Portland, Ore. Jordan is an emergency physician who lives with his wife Dana in Berkeley, Calif. Shel adored his four wonderful grandchildren.

A funeral service was held on Sunday, Aug. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Kirk Alumni Center at Middlebury College. Burial followed at West Cornwall Evergreen Cemetery on Route 74.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the United Way of Addison County or the Oral Cancer Foundation.  ◊