Sherry L. Kendall

Sherry L. Kendall, a retired Maryland State Assistant Attorney General, and more recently, a District of Columbia Assistant Attorney General, died Sunday of ovarian cancer at Stella Maris Hospice. She was 69.

Ms. Kendall was a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Baltimore Law School and earned a Master of Administrative Science at the Johns Hopkins University. Among her law professors was former Vice President Spiro T. Agnew. The lifelong Baltimore City resident graduated from Eastern High School. She then earned her undergraduate degree at the College of Mt. Saint Agnes and was a classmate of United States Senator Barbara Mikulski.

A longtime railroad enthusiast, her first job after law school was as an attorney for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. She then moved on to a career of public service, spending 30 years with the Maryland State Department of Human Resources. In recent years, she served as an attorney for the District of Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement.

Ms. Kendall resided in downtown Baltimore and on the Susquehanna River in Port Deposit, Maryland, where she was active in the Tomes Landing Homeowners Association.

In the early 1960’s, she joined the Mount Royal Democratic Club, where her political activism led to a decision to seek a law degree. In 1965, she graduated at the head of a class of over 600 at the University of Baltimore Law School. She was one of only seven women in that class.

An active and proficient distance runner until recently, Ms. Kendall won the inaugural Baltimore City Marathon in her age group. She continued to compete in the event, re-named the Maryland Marathon, for several years. She was a longtime member of the Baltimore Road Runners, competing successfully in eight marathons and numerous 5 and 10 kilometer events. Ms. Kendall was an environmentalist and animal rights advocate. She was member of Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and the Defenders of Animal Rights.

She was a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association.

Her daughter, Dana T. Kemmer resides in Abingdon, MD. In addition to her daughter, she is survived by a sister, Diane Hart of Pratts, VA and three brothers; Douglas Boyd of Newport, NC , Mark Zalenski of Key Largo, FL, and Lawrence Zalenski of Abingdon, MD. She also has three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.