Terry Allan Herbert

Terry Allan Herbert’s life began in 1951 in Lodi, California, born to young Ralph and Rae Herbert, who had recently relocated from Colorado to follow their career dreams in education. His childhood, teen, and young adult years were spent in Concord, California where he thrived on sports, outdoor adventures, and teasing his younger sister Leeanna. Terry’s most memorable times in his formative years centered on mischievous adventures, such as being in cahoots with his childhood best friend, Brad, digging tunnels adjoining their backyards. His time was also focused on training and competing in football and track for the love of the sports, learning auto repair, camping with family, or spending summers in the Rocky Mountain fly fishing with his grandpa “Ruby” while staying at the family’s Allenspark cabin.

He was a multi-sports honored graduate of Mt. Diablo High School in 1969. Athletic scholarships (and his parents) propelled him toward higher education. It was his summer job as a California forest firefighter that provided him the financial support to achieve his Bachelor of Science Degree in Parks and Recreation Administration from Chico State College in California in 1973. The stories Terry shared about his college years could have been the outtakes for “National Lampoon’s Animal House”, the movie. He shared a broken-down rental house alongside the railroad tracks with a group of similarly hardy college guys who hunted for food and teased the neighbor’s pet bear.

His career in Parks & Recreation began as a Recreation Supervisor with the Leisure Services Department of the City of Concord. It was in 1975 that he and a work colleague, Nancy Gianni, first began their life-long loving relationship and were first married February 27, 1976. It was in 1979 when Terry, Nancy, and son Aaron followed Terry’s new career path with the City of Longmont’s Recreation Department as Recreation Supervisor. Terry’s passion for and expertise in parks and recreation programs resulted in a career that spanned over 30 years.

Terry’s favorite stories about coaching community youth football leagues emphasized the needs of youth who were challenged by hard emotional or economic times. He gathered resources to provide special support for these athletes who might otherwise have not had an opportunity to reap the benefits of individual and team sports. He was also his son Aaron’s coach all through elementary and middle school. Terry could always be found in the city or school district sport fields or gyms as a coach, coordinator, or Dad. This didn’t change when daughter Lexie was born in 1982. Throughout her childhood, Lexie spent her weekends at ball fields or gyms watching her dad coach youth or play on adult sport teams or making s’mores with him at their Allenspark cabin campfire. Equally, he beamed at his son’s athletic performances and his daughter’s athletic and musical performances. He regularly supported and celebrated both Aaron and Lexie’s adult career paths. Always their biggest fan!

His love of cycling grew over time, culminating in competing in Ride the Rockies in 1991, 1992, & 1993. Cycling remained part of his lifestyle, even transitioning to an electric bike this year when health issues caused him to modify his ride. Terry loved dogs, especially his Samson. Together with Nancy, he raised many fur children throughout their 46 years together.

Following in his grandfather Ruby’s footsteps, Terry was a lifelong avid fisherman. He loved the peace and intensity of making flies and the joy of solitude when fishing streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans. Over time his love of fishing grew and expanded to like-passioned groups of fishing friends. From Alaska and the west coast to Florida and Nassau, he enjoyed fishing adventures resulting in the dozens of fish tales. Any day at the water was his best day.

Always up for a new adventures, Terry and Nancy embarked on camping and travel. Domestic travel often included a travel trailer they used to bring their children and grandchildren along for local getaways. Their favorite camp was at Dowdy Lake. With family in Italy, their international travel almost always included a stay at Chiavari and Lucca. Their favorite European destinations were Rome and Paris. One of his favorite trips was an extended family Mediterranean cruise where he hoped to help broaden his grandchildren’s perspective of life to global communities and world history. Terry’s “trip of a lifetime” was with Nancy on a three-week safari exploring the African cultures and wild animals in Kenya and Tanzania.

Terry was a “foodie” before the term was coined. It sparked his desire to learn to cook and experiment with complicated flavoring mixes. He designed a stand-alone brick fire oven that he used to recreate the variety of pizzas he loved in Italy. He also designed a back porch to socialize Italian-style with a chimenea. Terry often said he could live out the rest of his life on just wine, pasta, and French bread.

His rich life, full of broad circles of friends and family, ended July 19, 2022, because of complications from a cardiac arrest on July 1, 2022.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy (Gianni) Herbert, Longmont, son Aaron Herbert and wife Kelly (Frerichs) Herbert, Longmont, daughter Lexie (Herbert) Kennedy and husband Ryan Kennedy, San Diego, CA. His grandchildren are Cameron Herbert, Ft. Collins, and Abby Herbert, Delmar, MD, plus Skylor Friday, Denver, and Airman First Class Morgan Friday, Ft. Beale, CA. He is also survived by his sister, Leeanna (Herbert) Schoeder and husband Claude Schoeder, Pittsburg, CA.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ralph Herbert and Eleanor “Rae” (Whetstine) Herbert, his maternal grandparents, Homer “Ruby” and Madolin (Cutkomp) Whetstine, and his paternal grandparents, Clifford and Blanche (Dolan) Herbert.

Contributions in his memory can be made to the organization of your choice supporting youth sports, fly fishing for youth, or African wildlife reserves. Family and friends will host a Celebration of Terry’s Life on August 20, 2022. Please reach out to a family member for more information.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com for the Herbert family.