Frances Hering

Frances Hering, age 92, of Wayne, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home on Sunday, October 17, 2021.

The third child of Italian immigrants Carmen and Lisa (Santoro) Latrecchia’s four children, Frances was born in Paterson in her parent’s home located at 474 River Street. Her entire childhood was spent in Paterson and, after completing the eighth grade, she had to quit school so that she could work in the Paterson textile mills to mutually contribute to her family’s livelihood. This, of course, was a common practice for very young ladies of Frances’ era.

Frances met her husband George Hering on a blind date. This eventually led to a second date to the movies and afterwards to the Tree Tavern Pizzeria. Their love did indeed grow and it ultimately lead to their exchange of wedding vows in a marriage ceremony which took place on Sunday, September 25, 1955 at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church located at 224 East 18th Street in Paterson. Reverend Joseph Meyer officiated and Frances’ cousin Angela Giella was the maid of honor. After the wedding and reception, the newlyweds enjoyed a honeymoon together in Florida and also to Niagara Falls.

Frances and George’s first home as husband and wife was in a shared two-family in Paterson, owned by Frances’ parents. In 1957 they were blessed with the birth of their first son George and three years later moved into the home in Wayne where Frances was living to the present. Soon after, in 1961 their son David was born and in 1963 Paul was born.

Because of Frances’ full-time devotion to her family, her boys were blessed with a loving and supportive childhood. When her sons started school, Frances got her driver’s license so that she could be a part of the carpool that was organized with the other mothers on her street. She also volunteered as a class mom at Albert Payson Terhune Elementary School in Wayne.

When the Hering family was young, they enjoyed annual weekly summer vacations down the Jersey shore in Wildwood and later to LBI where they always rented the “little green house on Ninth Street”, just five houses from the beach. It was a great week of family fun and memories and the welcome mat was always out for anyone who wanted to come down for the whole week or just for a night or two. Days were spent having fun in the sun and at night, Frances was always up for a game of Uno, Chinese checkers, rummikub, or canasta, and if no one felt like playing she’d entertain and challenge herself with a game of solitaire. As the boys gained independence, Frances and George took to the waters and skies enjoying numerous cruises to the Caribbean and trips to destinations including Las Vegas, Florida, California, and, of course, to the home of her ancestors in Italy. They also enjoyed snow birding at their winter home in Jupiter, FL where they made so many good friends. Sadly, George passed away in 1998 after a forty-two year marriage that could only be described as “made in heaven.” May heaven be infinitely grander than anything she saw on earth!

Outside of being home, Frances kept herself busy through various interests. When she was in her early forty’s she joined a bowling league at the original T-Bowl on Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne with friends. She loved keeping her home clean to the degree that, if God himself came to visit, she would be proud to welcome Him. She was an excellent seamstress and she enjoyed crocheting blankets (sometime BIG ones) for her children and grandchildren, and winter scarves for her family and the homeless. One of her other specialties was making potholders. It seemed that everyone had a pair of Frances’ potholders and one year she made them for her neighbors and surprised them by putting them in their mailboxes as Christmas gifts.

To Frances, every holiday was a huge and exciting event. She loved to decorate and entertain at home and everyone who accepted her invitation had a great time and felt so welcome. When asked if his mom was a good cook, her son Paul exclaimed “Oh God! Yes! Favorites included her homemade gravy, chicken soup and chateaubriand and she always made too much so that she could give you leftovers to take home. At Christmas she made what seemed like thousands of cookies which everyone got to enjoy. In the summer the Hering back yard was the place to be. Everyone and anyone was welcome to drop by unannounced for a swim in the pool and there was always a neighborhood picnic which she loved to host. Fran and George also had a tradition of hosting an annual beefsteak dinner at the house.  

Frances and George were founding and long-time parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Roman Catholic Church in Wayne. Faith in God was important to Frances and, in later years, she so much enjoyed meetings, lunches and games as a member of the church’s senior group led by Sister Arlene Kohler. Being the very sociable person that she was, Frances also enjoyed attending the Golden Agers at the Wayne P.A.L.

Like all humans, though a sinner saved by God’s grace, Frances possessed numerous admirable qualities. Whether knowing you from church, or from her seniors club or as a good neighbor, Frances was a friend to all. Thankful for the countless blessings in her own life, she took great pleasure in “paying it forward” and was therefore always glad to give you the shirt off her back if you needed it more than her. She was a staunch advocate for time-honored traditions and seemingly sentimental about everything. She touched the lives of many and will be dearly missed.

Frances was predeceased by her husband George, Sr. in 1998 and by her son George, Jr. in 2016. She is survived by her sons: David and wife Nancy Hering of Highland Lakes, and Paul and wife Diane Hering of Wayne; five grandchildren: Danielle and husband Scott, David and wife Krissy, Christopher, Katie, and Melissa; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her three brothers: Frank, John, and Joseph Latrecchia.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Frances’ name are asked to consider one of the following charitable organizations:

Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 415 Crossways Park Drive, Suite D, Woodbury, NY 11797. To donate online, click here: lustgarten.org or to The American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023. To donate online, click here: diabetes.org