Dr. Errol Pomerance

Dr. Errol J. Pomerance, a resident of Pawlet, died on April 15 after a recurrent illness, with his wife Anita and his children close by. He was born in the Bronx borough of New York City on February 16,1942, the son of Benjamin and Ina Pomerance. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1962 , after which he taught the curriculum of Great Books at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD for five years. He earned a Master of Arts degree at St. John's, a Master of Science in mathematics from Harvard University, later, a Master of Science in psychology West Chester State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics from the Polytechnic Institute of New York in 1984. After moving to Philadelphia, PA, and working briefly in a psychiatric center, he taught mathematics at La Salle University, until retiring from there in 1994. He married his present wife, Anita Humphreys Pomerance, in 1979. Errol was a devoted father and husband, and a man of kind and generous spirit with an engaging sense of humor and the ability to connect on a human level right away. He had a passion for intellectual pursuits, and for beauty, which led him always towards a transcendent view of life. He was always learning. His experience teaching at St. John's instilled in him a sense of wonder and inquiry, and a compassion and respect for his fellow man, which he always retained. He loved literature, classical music, and astronomy. Following his career in Philadelphia, he retired to Vermont full time in 1995, where he started Skyshows of Vermont, bringing his portable planetarium dome to elementary schools and other venues. He taught mathematics at Community College of Vermont, then astronomy and history of science at Castleton State University until 2014. He also formed a Great Books reading group, served on the Pawlet Scholarships Committee, and wrote a monthly column, "The Sky this Week", for The Manchester Journal, sharing his love of the heavens and the stories from antiquity that lay behind each constellation of stars. He enjoyed playing the piano daily, and did all the cooking for family and friends, serving the summer meals on the veranda of his home overlooking the Vermont mountains. He is survived by his wife Anita; his former wife Lynn Carol Fisher, of Annapolis, MD; his brother Ronald Pomerance and his wife Marion of Montebello, NY; and Errol's five children: Robin Pomerance and her partner Tricia Carbone, of San Francisco, CA; Jennifer Vlangas and her husband William, of Bel Air, MD; Brian Pomerance and his wife Angel, of Mooresville, NC; Jonathan Pomerance and his fiancee Maria Merino-Blazquez, of Baltimore, MD; stepson Michael Fisher and his wife Ashley, of Baltimore, MD; his stepchildren, Monica Meade and her husband Edward, of Baltimore, MD; Sabrina Jones and her partner Steve Stern of Brooklyn, NY; and nine grandchildren: Daniel and Ben Meade, Alexander and Aspacia Vlangas, Brian Smith, Benjamin and Isabella Pomerance, and Sadie and Christopher Fisher. There are also two nieces, Wendi Brick and Renee Brown. For family only, there will be a scattering of ashes at their home on May 13. Should friends desire, contributions in Errol's memory may be made to either the Vermont Food Bank, the Pawlet Food Pantry, or Pawlet Scholarships. For family only, there will be a scattering of ashes at their home on May 13.