John B. “Doc” Herrick, 86, of Manchester, passed peacefully at home on January 6 after a long illness. Son of Charles A. and Esther (Frost) Herrick and beloved husband of the late Mary L. “Dolly” (Doucette) Herrick. John was a graduate of Story High School.
Born on November 22, 1935, Doc lived his life in Manchester-by-the-Sea. On November 1, 1953 at the age of 17, he embarked on a journey of a lifetime; sailing around the world on the Schooner “Yankee” under the tutelage of Captain Irving Johnson. Doc loved showing his slides of that trip to friends and family, reliving his adventures through their eyes. Upon his return, Doc joined the U.S. Navy, proudly serving his country.
His biggest life adventure began on April 4, 1959 when he married the love of his life, Mary “Dolly” Doucette. Together they shared 62 years of marriage, each other’s rock in calm and stormy seas of life. They had three children together, John B. Jr, Lisa and Christine and he was their biggest fan and supporter. You could find him on the sidelines of football, field hockey, lacrosse and softball games cheering on his children and grandchildren with immense pride in each of them.
Doc proudly served on the fire department of Manchester for 33 years and upon his retirement, continued to serve his town by driving the van for the Council of Aging, always giving back.
He is survived by his three children, John B. Herrick Jr. and his wife Kimberly, Lisa Ann Lagrassa and Christine Sortwell, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was predeceased by Mary and has now gone home to join her in eternity.
John’s funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., on Friday, January 14, 2022, at Visitation Parish Sacred Heart Church in Manchester. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Burial will be at Pleasant Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in John’s name to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at www.firehero.org.
