Sherwin Clift

Sherwin Clift, 85, of Clarksville, Tennessee, passed away on April 23, 2024, following an extended illness.  He was the son of Nelson and Margaret Clift of Lewisburg, Tennessee, and husband of Norma Deal Clift.

Born on July 11,1938, in Pulaski, Tennessee, Sherwin grew up on a dairy farm.  He graduated from Cornersville High School in 1956 where he earned multiple letters in football and basketball.  After high school, following the path of his high school coach, Sherwin hitch-hiked to Clarksville to attend Austin Peay State College.  He quickly emerged as a highly recognized student-athlete at Austin Peay, playing basketball his freshman season (1956-1957) and running track (1957-1958).  Sherwin also pursued journalism, spending two years working on the student newspaper and yearbook staffs. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in 1960, majoring in health and physical education.  He also achieved several prestigious senior class recognitions, including Governor (most outstanding male), Citizenship Award and Drane Award runner-up, the top three awards for graduating seniors. He earned a Master’s degree from APSC in 1961.

Sherwin met Norma Deal of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, at Austin Peay during his junior year.  After one month of dating, they decided to get married upon graduation.   Sherwin set aside a $2 bill in his wallet for the marriage license, and they were wed on June 17,1961. The Clifts celebrated 62 wedding anniversaries during their loving life together.

Sherwin began his professional career at Austin Peay as Public Information Director.  Early in his career, he also maintained other administrative capacities including the Office of Alumni Affairs and adviser to the student newspaper and yearbook.  In 1976, Sherwin led a collaboration that created the iconic AP logo, which continues to anchor the university’s graphic identity today.

Sherwin also served as Sports Information Director (1960-67, 1981-1983) and was Head Golf Coach (1961-71, 1978-80).  During the 13 seasons he coached, his Governors golfers participated in 64 tournaments with an impressive 13 championships, 8 runners-up and 12-third place finishes.  In match play, his teams were 113-38-6, while his tournament record was 543-252, combining for a career total record of 656-290-6, a .693 winning percentage.  Clift’s teams defeated or tied 167 different colleges and universities, and won numerous conference and state championships, including the 1961 and 1962 Volunteer State Athletics Conference Championships, the 1966, 1970 and 1979 Tennessee Intercollegiate Championships and the 1979 Ohio Valley Conference Championship.  His Govs finished eighth and third respectively in the 1967 and 1968 NCAA College Division Championships and finished the 1979 season ranked No. 15 nationally among major colleges by Golf World magazine. Clift was voted Tennessee Intercollegiate Coach of the Year in 1966, 1970 and 1979, and OVC Coach of the Year in 1979.  His association with the program did not end with his coaching career due to his continued influence, energy and significant role in sustaining the annual APSU Men’s Golf Alumni Tournament.

Of all the posts Sherwin filled, he was probably most widely known as a sportscaster (1971-1982). “The Voice of the Govs” (also referred to by many fans simply as “The Voice”) broadcast 386 football and basketball games during his tenure. Sherwin’s distinctive style, flair and accurate descriptions provided the soundtrack for Governors fans including some of Austin Peay’s most notable basketball teams in the 1970s and 80s.  He was inducted into the APSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983, and was the first APSU Athletics Hall of Famer inducted into the Governors Club Red Coat Society in 2017.  In 1980, Sherwin wrote and recorded a “single” (pressed to vinyl) titled “Red Fever” to help with Austin Peay athletics’ marketing efforts.  That recording, plus Sherwin’s signature Corvettes, cemented his reputation as “Clarksville’s oldest teenager!”

In 1984, Clift began a second career as the Director of Publications for the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.  He was the editor of the annually produced “Tennessee Blue Book,” and also oversaw the publication of this voluminous book multiple times.

In 2002, Sherwin began a third career when he and his already-successful Realtor wife Norma launched their Keller Williams Realty franchise.  Their firm rapidly grew and sustained a position among the leading residential real estate companies in Clarksville.  “The Clifts of Clarksville” also ventured into rental property, real estate development and homebuilding over the next 20 years.  The Clift’s Keller Williams Realty franchise continues to command a leadership position in the Clarksville real estate market today.

Sherwin played meaningful roles in various, professional, religious and philanthropic entities, including: Past Distinguished President of the Kiwanis Club, Kappa Delta Pi, Tennessee Association of College Public Relations Directors, Clarksville Tennis Association, Clarksville Association of Realtors, member and Deacon of Hilldale Church of Christ and a recipient of the APSU Outstanding Service Award.  Sherwin and Norma created multiple academic scholarship endowments, including the Clift Men’s Golf Graduate Assistant Scholarship, the Dr. Aaron Schmidt Alumni Band Scholarship and the Dr. Leon & Margaret Bibb APSU Athletics Hall of Fame Scholarship.  He loved to travel and visited all 50 of the United States and 37 countries.

Sherwin was preceded in death by his parents, Nelson and Margaret Clift. He is survived by his spouse, Norma Clift, a son Lamar Clift (Regina) of Clarksville, a daughter Natalie Clift Roemer (Scott) of Acworth, Georgia, two grandchildren Bentley Clift and Tristan Roemer and his feisty Pomeranian pooch, Rambo.

Sherwin Clift’s celebration of life service will be held Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. at Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home, 1510 Madison Street, Clarksville, with pastor Steve Kirby officiating.  The service will be live streamed at www.nealtarpleyparchman.com.  The family will receive friends for visitation at the Funeral Home on Saturday, April 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, April 28 beginning at 12:30 p.m. until the hour of service.  Burial will follow the service at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Higher Education Scholarship or Lylewood Christian Camp, c/o Hilldale Church of Christ, 501 Highway 76, Clarksville, TN 37043. Online condolences may also be shared by going to www.nealtarpleyparchman.com.