Richard A. "Mayor" Herold

Richard A. Herold (Dick), 85 from Elsmere Delaware, died peacefully on September 19, 2024 after a long battle with heart failure. Dick was born on June 9, 1939 and was the fourth son of Walter and Anna Herold.
Dick was a loving family man and a huge pillar in his community. Dick grew up in Elsmere Delaware and graduated from A.I. DuPont High School in 1957. He joined the Elsmere Fire Company as a junior member in 1956, where he has been a life member for 68 years.
Dick worked for Griffith Funeral Home in Elsmere for several years, until he met and married Margaret (Ginger) Roth in 1962. After their wedding Dick was drafted to Aniston Alabama for his military training, for the United States Army. Upon returning from his military training, Dick worked as a Police Officer for the
Elsmere Police Department until 1969. After leaving the Elsmere Police Department, he went to work for the CSX railroad in Elsmere, where he started as a Carman and worked his way up to Yard Master, which was the title he held until his retirement in 2002. After Dick's retirement from CSX, he went on to work part
time for the Elsmere Liquor Store and Angersteins, also located in Elsmere. However, Dick's proudest moment was when he won the Mayor Election for the Town of Elsmere in 2001. Dick held the title of "Mayor" from 2001 to 2009. Dick lived and worked his entire life in his beloved "Town of Elsmere".
Dick LOVED baseball!! He loved coaching baseball, as well as his beloved Philadelphia Phillies. If he was not dragging the baseball fields, in Elsmere, with his 1955 Ford International, he was watching or listening to the Phillies. Dick coached many baseball leagues throughout the years, including Elsmere Little League, Elsmere Babe Ruth, Elsmere Vic Wills, American Legion Oak Grove Thunder and Corpus Christi. Up until he passed away, he could probably name every kid he ever coached. He was a self-taught guitar player and he ALWAYS had a joke to tell.
Dick was also a HUGE lover of animals, mostly dogs. He owned many cats, dogs, birds and even a rabbit. In his later years, he was adopting older (Senior) dogs from rescue organizations, he said "An Old dog, for an old man".
Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Anna Herold; his wife Margaret (Ginger) Herold; his in-laws, Wallace and Laura Kennedy; and his three brothers, Rodney, Robert and Walter Herold, as well as his many pets.
He is survived by his daughter, Heather Herold (Brian) of Newark; his son, Walter Bryan Herold of Wilmington; his grandsons, Jacob Herold (Gabby) of Middletown and Jordan Herold of Newark, whom was his care taker for the past two years. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Ryleigh, Giovani, Jacob Jr., and Valentino Herold, Leo and Julian Schuele; as well as his niece, Randi Cirillo, & nephew's Tori Herold and Bob Malvezzi, whom was a wonderful help to him and the family in Dick's last few months.
A viewing will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2024 between 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home located at 1400 Kirkwood Highway, Elsmere DE 19805. Burial with military honors will take place on October 3, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Delaware Veterans Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Rd., Bear, DE 19701.
The family would like to thank all of the health care workers who took care of Dick over the last few months, especially his home nurse from the St. Francis Home Care Health Care, Carrie and Sherwin, his Physical Therapist. The family would also like to extend their sincere gratitude to the Hospice Nurses at the Wilmington Christiana Facility for their kindness and care during his last week of life.
Instead of flowers the family would like to request donations be made to the Renee's Rescues PO Box 1297, Hockessin Delaware 19707.