Ryan Herrlich

Donations  are encouraged to be sent to Wounded Warriors Project: woundedwarriorproject.org

Ryan William Herrlich, 41, began his jig in the sky on February 5, 2023 after an unexpected illness. He will be forever remembered for his positive attitude and ability to turn any story into an epic tale of somewhat truthful proportions.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Ryan was born to Eileen (née Walsh) and William Herrlich in Staten Island, NY on September 26, 1981. Ryan was predeceased by Irish potato farmers, Scottish warriors and Canadian fisherman. He grew up in Rumson, NJ where he made lifelong friends, first and foremost, his sidekick Ian Connor. Losing most of his hair before he graduated high school, his tattered white Mets hat kept his head company for the next decade, even though his family tried to throw it out multiple times. A dedicated fan, he enjoyed taking the ferry to Sunday home games with his family as a kid, and subsequently passed the tradition on to his own family.

Despite his unwavering volume, Ryan grew up a family-man surrounded with incredible love provided by numerous aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, mother Eileen, stepmother Mary Lee, gorgeous sisters (Bridget, Casey and Lauren) and the worlds loudest supporter and best friend, his Dad. Ryan and his Dad continued their annual tradition of drinking root beer floats while watching the All-star game every summer into adulthood, just as they had during Ryan’s childhood.

Cranberry Lake was Ryan’s second home, where he won his crowning lifetime achievement award: Baby Parade King in 1982. When not hanging out on the bridge with a large group of friends, he participated in swim team, ski team, catfishing, mistakenly shooting off fireworks into himself, and getting caught sneaking out. Gathering on questionable boats, his large circle of friends and family will continue the everlasting clubhouse celebration started by grandparents and now to his children.

He attended Virginia Tech where he had too much fun as a Hokie. His friendly vibe attracted a group of classmates who remain in contact; a true testament to his ability to leave a lasting impression on everyone he met.

Following in his Dad’s footsteps, he joined Philips 66 and worked as a Console Supervisor alongside best friend Mike Donahue, and his uncle and cousins. He was beloved by all his colleagues.

At the age of 23, Ryan enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He valued his service highly and attained the rank of sergeant. After joining the Corps, he attended the Marine Corps School of Infantry in North Carolina. He went on to serve deployments to Mongolia in 2007 for Operation Khan Quest where he helped several southeast Asian countries perform UN missions. He went on to serve in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008 alongside his Marine brother, Sergeant Thomas Grosmick. Together they were squad leaders in charge of base security at Al Asad Air Base. Ryan then went on to Norway in 2010 for Operation Cold Response which was a joint exercise with the Dutch, Norwegian and British militaries. He served his country proudly until 2011. He is still affectionately known as Pumpkin Head.

Although he preferred Irish punk music, Ryan met wife Sara at a reggae bar of all places. He would often joke about their first date when he showed up dressed for a game of tennis, in the dark, on a court, with no lights. After waiting six years for our favorite procrastinator to pop the question, Ryan outkicked his coverage, asking beautiful Sara Good to add more letters to her last name on Christmas Eve 2011.

Ryan and Sara’s wedding on New Year’s Eve 2012 will forever be one of the greatest celebrations, even with his youngest sister, Casey, photo bombing their wedding photos. Following a magical honeymoon to South Africa and Zimbabwe, they went on to have one of the most enviable marriages. Ryan and Sara had 16 incredible years together and created a beautiful life. They were gifted a set of exceptionally blonde twins followed by a perfect little girl.

One of Ryan’s happiest moments was passing off his directionally-challenged sister Bridget (who called him non-stop for help) to Tyler with the famous phrase: “She’s all yours now.”

We will forever hear Ryan in our hearts and anytime we’re within a 3-mile radius of his son Hunter, whose laughter mimics Ryan’s famous Muppet-sounding cackle, a sound easily heard by neighbors in Rumson and everyone in Frenches Grove, despite him being indoors. Carly gets her theatrical tendencies from her Dad, who was a former flying Monkey in a CLCC play directed by his cousin. Unfortunately, she also inherited his uncanny ability to get car sick on memorable family trips, including red slushie into his Dad’s brand new car, Ford’s Theater where Lincoln was shot, and Cooperstown, NY. Harper, the quintessential Daddy’s girl, continues to take after him by playing pranks on her grandparents. She giggles and tells Gramma and Grandpa “Daddy showed me how to turn the birds around!”

Ryan and Sara moved to Middletown in 2015. They quickly realized that they now had not just a beautiful home but a community of friends who became family. Ryan’s Middletown home was always full of neighborhood kids, the best audience for his guitar playing. Ryan and Sara welcomed friends and neighbors with open arms and built a loving and supporting community.

Rarely a serious guy, Ryan lived in the moment with a constant smile on face. He was the first to buy a round, offer a toast, capture the flag in paintball, take his kids on an adventure or provide advice. Although he walked through a brand-new screen door the day after it was installed at the lake, he was one of the smartest guys we knew, and it made us crazy. He leaves behind a crew of rowdy nephews and one special niece who looked up to him as a hero.

He loved Sara and his kids more than anything, even the 1986 Mets. There was nothing that made Ryan happier than spending time with his three children and wife. As his son Hunter says, “Dad was good at everything he did, except growing hair.”

Donations can be sent to the Wounded Warriors Project at: woundedwarriorproject.org