Shel was a true mensch and family man. He was humble and modest, even for a Canadian. He liked to play the guitar, watch hockey, wear slippers, and stay up late. He had a sharp mind and an exceptional vocabulary. He could stack an incredible number of suitcases into a car trunk with the touch of a Tetris grandmaster. And he made a bed with perfect hospital corners, a skill he attributed to years at summer camp.
Shel loved to golf with his like-minded friends and spent many hours traversing the Ralph Myhre Golf Course. He appreciated a good joke and had a clever wit. He was opinionated, especially about current events, and happy to share his views. His close friendships from school, summer camp, and university lasted his entire life.
Shel passed away on August 8, 2024, at the age of 76, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born in Toronto, Canada, on August 31, 1947, to Irving and Lillian Sax. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a homemaker. Shel graduated from the University of Toronto and obtained a master’s degree at Simon Fraser University. He worked at Middlebury College for 34 years, mostly in educational technology—helping professors and staff better use technology in the classroom. Before that, he built acoustic guitars for a living. He is survived by his beloved wife, Peggy, a psychologist in Middlebury. They first met while picking fruit on a kibbutz in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border. Shel and Peggy were married for 52 years. He will always be immensely proud of his two sons. Peter is an Assistant United States Attorney in Portland, Oregon. Jordan is an emergency physician who lives with his wife, Dana, in Berkeley, California. Shel adored his four wonderful grandchildren.
A service was held on Sunday, August 11, at the Kirk Alumni Center, with internment at Evergreen Cemetery in Cornwall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the United Way of Addison County or the Oral Cancer Foundation.