Sherman Kenneth Okun, 77, an early leader and active participant in the Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Boston College Institute for Learning and Retirement, died July 9 after a two-year struggle with lymphoma. He split his time between Newton Centre and Aquinnah.

Mr. Okun was born in Chicago to the late Goldie Lischin Okun and Aaron Okun.

After his sophomore year in high school, he received a Ford Foundation grant to attend the University of Chicago in lieu of finishing high school.

Due to the influx of returning veterans with GI benefits, he was unable to receive financial aid to complete his studies. At that time, an Illinois congressman offered an appointment to the United States Naval Academy to the applicant who received the highest score on a statewide history test, which turned out to be Mr. Okun, who was thus able to complete his undergraduate education.

After serving four years in the U.S. Navy as an officer, Mr. Okun completed Harvard Business School and then worked for several management consultant firms before co-founding the American Executive Management Company in Salem.

In his 10-year retirement, Mr. Okun devoted his creative, intellectual and management skills to the Brandeis and Boston College lifelong learning communities: teaching technology courses, studying humanities, and offering consulting services to seniors.

Mr. Okun's passions were his family and Aquinnah on the Vineyard, where he enjoyed fishing, gardening, and walking on the beaches.

He was predeceased by a twin brother, Marvin, in childhood.

Survivors include his wife Barbara, a professor of counseling psychology at Northeastern University; his daughter Marcia and her husband Joshua Lieberman and their children Amalia, Michal and Aryeh of Newton; his son Jeffrey and his wife Alison and their daughters Samantha and Alexandra of Andover; and his son Douglas and his partner Eric Ethington and their twin daughters Elizabeth and Sophia of San Francisco.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Hebrew Center in Vineyard Haven. A memorial service will be held at Brandeis in the fall. Contributions may be made to the Hospice of Martha's Vineyard, P.O. Box 2549, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557 or to the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge of the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen street, Framingham, MA 01701.