John Scherrer, a retired school teacher who became a dedicated advocate for the youth of Pacific Palisades, died on October 3 at the age of 74. He had been admitted to St. John’s Hospital on August 6, but was transferred to a nursing home for treatment after he was diagnosed with lymphoma. A memorial service will be held for Scherrer on Saturday, October 14, at 2 p.m. in the Palisades Presbyterian Church, corner of Sunset and El Medio. “John Scherrer played a vital behind-the-scenes role in our annual Palisades Teen Pageant,” said Arnie Wishnick, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. “For many years he attended our committee meetings, and every year he recruited prospective candidates. “He took so much pleasure in seeing young people entering the competition. And, he took great pride in seeing the contestants move on from high school to college.” Scherrer was equally enthusiastic about the drama and theater arts productions at Palisades High (where he volunteered for 12 years in the main office), and could be counted on to write glowing reviews as Letters to the Editor in the Palisadian-Post. He also volunteered in the youth programs at the Presbyterian Church and for Theatre Palisades Kids. In 1991, he received a Golden Sparkplug Award from the Community Council in recognition of his role as one of the founders of the newly-formed Citizens Assisting Pacific Palisades Youth (CAPPY). The group (no longer in existence) opened a teen center on Via de la Paz and attempted to provide an organized liaison between local teens and the business community. John himself helped sponsor brainstorming sessions with young people and community leaders to find ways to improve youth relations and develop more activities for kids. Scherrer grew up on Long Island and graduated from Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York. He then earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Amherst College in 1954 and his master’s in history from Columbia University a year later. At Amherst, he played football in his junior year, lettered in tennis as a senior, and was a member of the Air Force ROTC. After teaching for a few years at a private Long Island high school, Scherrer attended the University of Michigan to get his junior college teaching credential and moved to California in 1960. He worked as a paperback buyer at the Brentwood book shop that is now Dutton’s and took singing lessons, even though he says he “wasn’t a very good singer.” Late in his life he wrote a song, “God’s Always There,” that will be sung at his memorial service. After 14 years of teaching English at Malibu Park Junior High and Lincoln Junior High, and the loss of his parents a few years apart, Scherrer retired in 1980 (two years after settling in the Palisades) and began a period of “soul searching” that included “meditating and listening to beautiful music.” His volunteerism began in 1983 with a benefit party he held that raised $1,300 for the Free Arts Clinic for Abused Children. A year later, he founded L.A. CAN (Community Action Network), a Los Angeles volunteer service that runs fundraising programs and special events for a variety of organizations. In 1987, he was one of four people singled out by Reader’s Digest in a “Heroes for Today” article. “Volunteering is total fun,” said Scherrer, who was known as “Uncle John” to children at the Presbyterian Church. The Director of Children’s Ministry at the church described John as “truly a kids’ advocate. He loves books and has a gift for reading to children.” In a 2003 interview with the Post, Scherrer recalled a memorable experience he had reading to a class at Palisades Elementary. “The kids applauded wildly when I stopped reading. That was my most exciting moment in years.” At one point, Scherrer was nominated for Citizen of the Year honors in Pacific Palisades. The nominating letter noted John’s years of service at Palisades High and how “‘Uncle J.’, as he is lovingly called, has been assisting our students by tutoring, mentoring, working the office switchboard, helping with school mailings and phone calls.” The letter concluded, “John Scherrer is that special person who validates all children with his encouraging words, his smile, and his attention.”
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