Sherry Lynn Smith-Ossman

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Sherry Lynn Smith Ossman, a 50 year resident of Lexington, Massachusetts from Multiple Myeloma. Sherry is preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert (Bob) Lee Ossman and son-in-law John J. Mangano of Scituate, Massachusetts. She is survived by her daughter Shannon O. Mangano of Scituate, Massachusetts and her son Todd A. Ossman, daughter-in-law, Aimee C. Ossman of McLean, Virginia, her Grandsons, Owen Robert Ossman and Carter Paul Ossman also of McLean, Virginia, and her many cherished life-long friends from her hometown of Newton Falls, Ohio; Nursing school in Philadelphia and the local Boston area.

Sherry graduated from Newton Falls High School, in Newton Falls Ohio. She left Ohio and received her Registered Nurse degree from the Philadelphia General Teaching Hospital in 1963. From there she moved to Boston to take a job at Massachusetts General Hospital. She soon met her husband, Bob, at a party and married just 3 months later. When the kids were young, while working full time, she went on to attend and graduate from Middlesex Community College with a Bachelors in Science. Once both Todd and Shannon both finished college, she went back again, graduating from Northeastern University In Boston, Massachusetts with a Master’s of Science in nursing, becoming a Nurse Practitioner, a long time goal of hers.

For over 55 years, Sherry worked in many areas of nursing; Surgical, Floor nurse and Psych, working at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Veterans Administration Hospital- Bedford. However, she found her calling as a Renal Nurse Specialist/ Teaching Nurse, at the Joslin Diabetes Center where she worked for just over 33 years. In addition to her work with patients at Joslin, 3 nights a week she was a “nurse” at home to her husband, who was a hemodialysis patient. As a nurse Sherry, was an advocate for her patients, a mentor to other nurses, doctors, and staff alike and a friend to be counted on. She was always quick-witted, had a dark sense of humor and warm inviting smile for everyone that she met.

In retirement, Sherry prioritized time with her grandsons, taking them on adventures across New England and really looked forward to attending Owen and Carter’s college and high school graduations this spring. Also in retirement, with all her new found free time, she traveled the world taking walking cross-county hiking trips in England, France and the Camino de Santiago in Spain, as well as the slot canyons of southern Utah with friends. Sherry was an avid reader of all genres and always had a book in her hands. She enjoyed hosting dinner parties and get-togethers on her deck in Lexington overlooking the woods and hillside of her home that she designed and built with her husband upon moving to Lexington. She loved visiting Shannon and John at the beach, and Todd and the family in Washington, D.C. Late in retirement, Sherry became involved in national advocacy on healthcare issues she was very passionate about, helping to organize events and letter campaigns to elected representatives at home in Massachusetts and in Washington, D.C.

In place of flowers, donations in Sherry’s name would be appreciated by the family to the National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/, the American Cancer Society Multiple Myeloma program at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/multiple-myeloma/about.html, or the Norwell Visiting Nurse Associations Pat Roche Hospice House in Hingham, Massachusetts at https://www.nvna.org/.

A service will be held in June, more information to follow.