Joseph J. Herman, age 71, of Rochester passed away Sunday, August 10, 2014 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was the husband of Jeannine (LeBlanc) Herman, with whom he shared 48 years of marriage.
Born in Findlay, Ohio, a son of the late M.J. and Mabel (Solt) Herman, he moved to Massachusetts in 1963. He worked as a licensed building contractor in the local area for over 40 years.
Joe played football while attending The Ohio State University and remained an avid fan of the Buckeyes thereafter. He served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War at Otis Air Force Base in Bourne where he met his wife. As an active member of the St. John Neumann Church community, he was a Lector and Eucharistic Minister, a member of the Couples Club, a Chairman of the Lakeside Family Festival and on the Steering Committee of the Festival for 29 years. He also served on the Board of Directors of Florida Acecapaders Park in Fort Lonesome, Florida.
Joe excelled at problem solving and there wasn’t a project or process that he encountered that he couldn’t complete or make better. His most recent personal accomplishment was the complete refurbishing of his 1958 International 330 Utility Tractor. He also received a Service to Rainbow Award from the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls in April 2014 in recognition of his hard work and dedication to restoring various buildings at Rainbow Camp in Hanson, MA. Nothing made him happier than sharing the fruits of his labor with his friends and family.
In addition to his wife, survivors include his children, Dr. Susan T. Herman, Debra J. Johnson and her husband Arnold, Peter J. Herman and his wife Elizabeth, Sheryl A. Kretzer and her husband Walter; siblings, Karen L. Hayslip and her husband James, Joyce E. Ward and her husband Mark, and H.R. “Pete” Herman and his wife Gail; Grandchildren, Rebecca, Meghan, and Henry Johnson, Walter, Charles, and Jackson Kretzer; step-grandchildren, Jason, Justin and Emily; many nieces, nephews and close cousins. He was predeceased by a sister, Linda Castor Fleming.
Relatives and friends are invited to his Funeral Mass Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 9:30 AM in St. John Neumann Church, 157 Middleboro Rd., East Freetown. Burial with Military Honors will be in MA National Cemetery at 2:45 PM. Visiting Hours, Tuesday, August 19, 2014, 4-8 PM in the ROCK Funeral Home, 1285 Ashley Blvd., New Bedford.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the St. John Neumann Restoration Fund, P.O. Box 718,157 Middleboro Road, East Freetown MA 02717-0718.