Richard ‘Dick’ Herzing of East Quogue Dies June 27

Richard (Dick) Herzing of East Quogue died on June 27. He was 80.

He was born on July 16, 1942, to Edith and John Herzing in the Bronx.

Growing up, Herzing spent many hours playing ball in the courtyards. His brother, Greg Herzing, said that Herzing was the biggest kid in the group, and nobody messed with him or his sisters. "He was our protector," Greg Herzing said. "Dick had a big heart, and was truly loved by his friends."

He went on to play football, along with basketball and baseball, at Fordham Prep.

After graduating, he attended Marquette University in Milwaukee for one year, then transferred to Drake University, where he played football for three years, graduating with a bachelor's degree in business journalism.

In 1967, Herzing played with the Green Bay Packers (under Vince Lombardi), winning the first Super Bowl that year. He was then traded to the New York Giants, where he played for two more years.

In the early 1970s, Herzing managed a pub in Jackson Heights, Queens. A couple of years later, he and a good friend, John Lium, whom he met while playing for the Giants, purchased and remodeled The Stablemates Pub, where he acquired many new lifetime friends.

Also in the mid-1970s, Herzing and two of his other lifetime buddies, Micki and Wayne, lived in a two-story building in Queens, which they called "The Singles Only Building."

The three buddies decided to pay the "cigar-smokin' landlord, Louie," to immediately bring any new "stewardesses" moving into the building to meet them first before anyone else had a chance.

That is how Herzing met his future wife, Pam.

The couple summered in the Hamptons throughout the 1970s, where they made many lifelong friends.

They moved to East Quogue year-round in 1984, and something happened a year later that would change Herzing's life forever, his family said. He had a son.

He soon would sell the pub in Queens, and decided to take up a new profession, being a stay at home father.

A few years later, when Derik was about 5 years old and started Little League, Herzing became the coach that he always wanted to be.

He coached both the boys and the girls Little League teams. Soon, he discovered that the girls were more sensitive to his "coaches voice," and he started bringing tape to cover his mouth, which made the girls laugh, and love him even more.

A few years later, Herzing became involved with the East End PAL with his good friend, Jim Goery. He ran PAL and its golf fundraiser for over 20 years.

He also was a member of the Westhampton St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee, and was the emcee for the parade for almost 30 years.

Herzing worked for R.C.F. Fuel in Hampton Bay for many years until he retired in 2018.

After retirement, he so enjoyed hanging out with buddies down at his old boat marina, and going to lunch with the guys.

He was a man who loved to bust chops, his family said, and even ruffle a few feathers here and there. But if you looked close enough, they said, you would soon realize that this was just a ruse to help hide his big heart, along with the love and kindness he had for everyone.

He was predeceased by his parents, Edith and John Herzing; his sister, Edith (Bubbles) Herzing; and some of his closest friends.

He is survived by his son, Derik; Pam Chance Herzing; his brother, Greg; his sister, Laurie; and a community of wonderful friends.

A celebration of his life will be held on July 22 at 11 a.m. at the Westhampton Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Southampton Town PAL, P.O. Box 202, Westhampton N.Y. 11978.