OCTOBER 3, 1951 - FEBRUARY 21, 2024 .

Herbert Hagens

Rudolf Steiner expected a great deal from those who sought to promote the welfare of the Anthroposophical Society. Becoming a pupil in the School of Spiritual Science required accepting the further responsibility of being a representative of the anthroposophical cause. Despite a debilitating handicap, Ed Scherer dedicated his life to fulfilling the commitments of soul and spirit.

At age 17 Ed graduated from the Garden City Waldorf School and was looking forward to starting college in the autumn. But a tragic diving accident resulted in a serious spinal injury that left him wheelchair bound for the rest of his life. Nevertheless he still managed to go to college and graduate school and to pursue a full career. His sister, Rachel, and her husband, James Madsen, wrote the following recollection:

“By some miracle he (Ed) maintained the capacity to move the thumb of his right hand, which made all the difference in being able to live independently his entire life. Ed worked for nearly four decades in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, retiring as an analyst in the commercial banking supervision and regulation department. He commuted every day from Long Island to NYC in his car outfitted with hand controls.

Ed’s disability never kept him from living an exceptionally active and independent life. He was a genius at rigging up clever devices to accomplish everyday tasks and did most of the maintenance of his houses by himself. He mowed his own lawn, shoveled his sidewalk, did all his own housework and repairs and had a full woodshop in his garage. He was even involved in advertising campaigns for the President’s (then Jimmy Carter) Committee on Employment of the Handicapped in the late 1970s. Ed was an avid gardener, most recently revitalizing the gardens at the Fellowship Community in Spring Valley, NY. There he touched many lives during these last few years. Additionally, many people from all phases of his life have recently shared memories of his kindness, his quiet deeds to help others, and his example of courage and steadfastness in the face of great challenges.”

Ed Scherer will also be remembered for his selfless service to the Anthroposophical Society as a member of the Eastern Regional Council and the General Council. On several occasions he and I would meet up for dinner before meetings at the New York Branch. He politely accepted my offer to push him in the wheelchair, but I knew that he would have preferred doing it himself.

Herbert Hagens

Princeton, New Jersey

With thanks to Michael Ronall for sharing his recollections