Sherman was...to put it mildly...unique

 Rob Sherman died the way he lived.

Doing something he was passionate about.

            The eccentric and outspoken P.T. Barnum of politics and special interests was killed Dec. 10 when the small plane he was flying – the one he built – crashed into a McHenry County corn field.

            In addition to establishing himself as the state’s foremost atheist, Sherman dabbled, or rather plunged, into a wide variety of political stands, perhaps to a fault, Sherman had a passion for flying and was active in the Experimental Aircraft Association.

            But that’s been reported and until Saturday’s fatal crash, chances are when someone thought of Rob Sherman, they thought more of his stand on atheism and opinion on, well, just about anything more than they thought of Rob Sherman the aviator.

            Ironically, Sherman and his wife, Celeste, moved out of Buffalo Grove in November to Poplar Grove so he could reportedly live near the Poplar Grove Airport and do more with his “Rob Sherman Airplanes” business.

            Ever the showman, Sherman found ways to make sure you knew he was around – whether from his flashy red sports car with his name plastered on its side and “Atheist” license plate -- or to his massive truck (a.k.a. the Shermanator) that at one point touted “Rob Sherman News” but morphed into “Rob Sherman Airplanes”. 

The "Shermantor"  (robsherman.com photo)

            The change on the truck did not, however, mute his preposterous and sarcastic rhetoric on just about topics ranging from the proposed extension of Illinois Rt. 53 to the funding of the renovation of the Indian Trails Public Library.

He also liked to take on village issues and, in true Rob Sherman form, if you can’t beat them, try to join them.  Which is what he did when he ran for Village Clerk. As was the case in most of his races for public office, he didn’t win.

As reported in the Chicago Sun-Times, Sherman ran unsuccessfully for Illinois’ 5th Congressional district seat as the Green Party candidate, and in 2008, he ran as a Green candidate for Illinois state representative in the 53rd district.

Sherman made frequent visits to Buffalo Grove Village Board meetings to seek support from the Board on items that were (no surprise here) passionate to him – from objecting to the extension of Illinois Rt. 53, to a proposed change in flight patterns at the airport once known as Palwaukee.

It wasn’t always what he said, but how he said things.  Knowing that the village allows residents 10 minutes to speak, Sherman made sure he used that time, it wasn’t unusual for him to bring his wife, Celeste, along so he could introduce her, or to ask the

Rob Sherman and his wife, Celeste, in the Zenair CH 601
he was flying at the time of the fatal crash. (robsherman.com photo)

Board for a “mazel tov” because of a pending birthday.  P.T. Barnum would have been proud – or perhaps embarrassed.

Sherman was, to put it mildly, unique.  And while his rants were often long, drawn out, if not outright annoying, at least he took an interest (albeit a self-interest), in various issues, which is something most residents don’t do.

And while Sherman may have been an irritant to public officials, his death should not be seen as a “victory” for those who took exception to his beliefs or the way he liked to grab the spotlight.

Like him or not, agree with him or not, Sherman was only 63 and leaves behind a wife and two children.

He wasn’t a hardened criminal.  Just someone who liked to greatly expound his points of views in way to get the spotlight on him.