Leon “Lee” Sherman

Leon “Lee” Sherman, 101, of Framingham, formerly of Somerville and Revere, passed away peacefully on July 26 at the remarkable age of 101 following a brief illness.

Born on July 10, 1922, Lee was the sixth of seven children of the late Pauline and Samuel Sherman. He had fond childhood memories of playing baseball and watching second baseman Sibby Sisti and the Boston Braves in the bleachers with the “Knothole Gang.” Another constant thread in his life was tennis, thanks to his older brother, Marty, who introduced him to the game. Since he had older siblings with children by the time he was a young teen, Lee became the favorite “Uncle Mashe” of his nieces and nephews. His most transformative job as a young man was working in his brother-in-law’s dental practice doing odd jobs, running errands, cleaning, and even working on patients under Joe’s watchful eye. This was the spark to a hugely successful career as a dental technician and business owner.

In 1942, Lee was drafted into the Army and served on the hospital ship USS HOPE in the Pacific where he ran the dental lab and performed medical surgeries. Further stories about his adventures in World War II are available upon request. When he was honorably discharged in 1945, Lee opened Sherman Dental Lab on Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, rapidly building the business and his reputation in the dental industry. He met and partnered with the premier dentists in the area and helped establish the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Throughout the years, Lee lectured at Boston area dental schools.

Lee enjoyed his life as a bachelor in the 1950s. He played tennis and squash around Boston and at singles resorts in New England. It was at one of these resorts where he met his future wife, Pearl. Lee and Pearl were married at the Hampshire House on an unusually balmy day in November 1961, and they settled in Framingham, MA to start their family. Once daughter Davida came along, he had a sidekick to teach every sport, primarily tennis, squash, and baseball, mentor, and educate on the fine art of comedy, particularly Henny Youngman jokes.

In the early 1970s, Lee partnered with two other dental professionals to establish the famously successful lab, Denthetics, which they ran for more than a decade before it was acquired by National Dentex. In the late ‘80s, Lee went back to his roots and opened a one-man lab in the basement of a dental office, which he tremendously enjoyed until his retirement at age 85.

Lee and Pearl were members of Temple Beth Am in Framingham and later Temple Israel of Natick. Lee also loved playing tennis at Sudbury River Tennis Club in Framingham and Wightman Tennis Center in Weston.

Lee is preceded in death by his beloved Pearl and his siblings Sophie Karlin, Helen Bengar, Elizabeth Weene, Martin Sherman, Harry Sherman, and Ruth Jacobson. He is survived by his daughter Davida Dinerman and son-in-law Brad; his grandchildren, Abby and Ari, to whom he was the “best Poppie ever,” and Toby “Good Boy” the goldendoodle, and many nieces and nephews.

We remember Lee as a forever youthful man. He was a storyteller with a tremendous sense of humor and a fierce love for and loyalty to his family and friends. His most favorite thing was spending time with his family, whom he adored and cherished, advised and supported until the very end. His mantra, “110%, one day at a time,” will forever be with us.

Graveside service at the Framingham-Natick Hebrew Cemetery, Fairview Ave, Natick, MA, on Friday, July 28, 2023 at 11:00 am. Shiva will begin after the burial at the home of Davida and Brad Dinerman until 4:30 p.m. Shiva will continue Sunday, July 30, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., with minyan at 7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lee’s memory may be made to Boston Children’s Hospital at bostonchildrens.org/givenow or via check payable to Boston Children’s Hospital, at Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, 401 Park Drive, Suite 602, Boston, MA 02215-5301.