Naida Glee Mc Sherry

Resident of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn and Putney Vermont

A pioneer in the restoration of this historic Brooklyn neighborhood Clinton Hill resident Naida McSherry passed away Friday, December 9, 2022 following a very brief illness

McSherry was born October 29, 1937 in Rockford, IL to Clarence and Genevieve McSherry. She obtained her Bachelors from Rockford College/University in 1959 and her Master’s degree in Fabric Design in 1962 from Cranbrook Art Institute outside of Detroit. She worked with Knoll Fabrics becoming an award-winning fabric designer, and designer of wall coverings. While exploring Brooklyn, Naida McSherry fell in love with the historic architecture and in 1982 changed careers to become a realtor, owning Naida McSherry Real Estate.

McSherry became a real estate legend and sold over 400 homes in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill in the neighborhood's pre-gentrification days. She totally embraced the community and actively engaged in its revival when it needed a boost in the 1970s through the late 1990's. She was masterful in presenting her beloved neighborhood to even the most reluctant of buyers. Mc Sherry became the lynchpin of what this great neighborhood has become through her prolific sales of once faded houses, and tireless recruitment of new residents to engage in community activism.

McSherry restored a number of Clinton Hill mansions preserving all historic architectural elements. Her restored properties were featured in the New York Times, the New York Daily News, many other publications and daytime television shows.

McSherry was an early active member of The Society for Clinton Hill an organization of neighborhood activists who worked toward the designation of the Clinton Hill Historic District to save its iconic structures from destruction.

She also developed a private sale antique business in Vermont where she restored a late 1700’s farm house. The beauty of the state of Vermont was very special to her.

McSherry supported the NYC Joyce Theater dance program; Yellow Barn, an international center for chamber music in Putney VT; Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center, a non-collecting contemporary art museum in Brattleboro, VT, and a benefactor of Vermont Public, a unified source for NPR and PBS programming in VT; the Blue Hill Pinafore Society.

McSherry is survived by her beloved “son” and partner in crime, Kurt Wohlfeil. Naida collected friends throughout her life and is survived by a cadre of ‘best friends” in Clinton Hill, and Putney and Brattleboro, including Terree Randall, Mary Arenas – a best friend since college, Abigail Golde, Roslyn Huebener, Binnie Sen, Debbie Holland, B & T Lewin, Mary Meyer and many, many others and her dog, Feona – her pride and joy.

A memorial will be planned at a future date.