Richard (Dick) Charles Herrerias

Richard (Dick) Charles Herrerias 1934 – 2025 A kind, generous, ambitious, and fun-loving true gentleman of 91 years, Dick passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on July 7, 2025, in Lincoln, California. He was born in Berkeley, California, on June 14, 1934, to Everett and Camille (Morrill) Herrerias. The youngest of three children, Dick grew up playing in Golden Gate Park and trapping crabs in San Francisco Bay. He was especially close to his sister Connie, who took him into her home and helped raise him after the passing of their mother at the beginning of his freshman year of high school. After attending Catholic schools through middle school, Dick was determined to attend Lowell High School—and he thrived there as a skilled athlete. A talented basketball and track competitor, especially in the hurdles, he earned a scholarship to UC Berkeley to compete in both sports. Unfortunately, two knee injuries forced him to leave the university after his first year. Determined to complete his degree but without financial support to do so, Dick enlisted in the Army. He served two years at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he discovered he could play basketball for the base’s team instead of guard the motor pool. With help from the GI Bill, Dick re-enrolled at UC Berkeley and earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Around that time, a fortuitous blind date led to meeting his first love, Sharon Boucher, a nursing student at UCSF. They married on June 14, 1958, shortly after Sharon earned her nursing degree. Following their graduations, the young couple settled in Richmond, California. They moved to San Mateo in 1962 and then bought their first house in Foster City in 1965. Sharon worked as a public health nurse, while Dick began his career at Bank of America. Ambitious and desiring to work abroad, Dick soon joined IBM, where he saw the opportunity to build an international career. Always goal-oriented, he set his sights high and worked tirelessly to achieve his dreams. Dick and Sharon delighted in starting a family, and Dick took pride in being a traditional, positive father figure who provided a good life for his family. They welcomed daughter Karen in 1960, daughter Anne in 1961, and son Steve in 1965. In 1968, the family moved to New Jersey so Dick could receive specialized training at IBM’s New York headquarters—the first of many relocations across the country. As a Branch Manager in IBM’s Office Product Division, Dick’s leadership, business acumen, and determination made him the company’s go-to manager for improving underperforming branches. Once a branch had been restored to excellence, he was transferred to another, leading to moves to Spokane, Phoenix, Newport Beach, and finally back to the Bay Area in 1977. In 1987, Dick’s dream of working abroad became reality when he and Sharon moved to Hong Kong for three years, where he fostered the development of PC franchises throughout the Asia/Pacific market. With their children grown, Dick and Sharon embraced their love of travel—enjoying an African safari and visiting Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and India. His time in Hong Kong marked the pinnacle of Dick’s career, and he retired a year after returning to the United States. Dick and Sharon shared a wonderful partnership, and he and their children were devastated by her passing from cancer in 1991. Less than a year later, Dick met and fell in love with Joyce Dewer. They married in 1993, and Dick gained a beloved stepdaughter, Dara, to whom he was a kind, generous, and supportive stepfather. By the time Dick married Joyce, he had retired, and he soon persuaded her to wind down her career as a Realtor so they could fully enjoy the rewards of their hard work. Dick introduced Joyce to golf, and the two became frequent players at Contra Costa Country Club and courses throughout the Bay Area, joining tournaments and enjoying rounds with friends. They traveled widely—visiting Spain, Canada, and the Mediterranean, including Turkey and Israel—and shared a love of cooking exquisite meals, barbecuing, and entertaining family and friends. Dick especially cherished gatherings with his close-knit group of cousins and loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. In 2017, Dick was diagnosed with cancer. Though he overcame the disease and entered remission, the toll of treatment slowed him down, and he began to enjoy quieter pleasures at home. Recurring health issues made travel difficult, but he deeply appreciated visits from family and friends. He doted on his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lizzie, followed football, basketball, and golf with enthusiasm, and relished completing The New York Times crossword puzzles—always without cheating. Dick will be remembered as a steady and devoted father, a loyal friend, and a man who truly lived by his motto, “La Familia.” He was passionate about barbecuing—whether in the cold of a New Jersey winter or on the 34th-floor patio of his Hong Kong apartment—and loved playing golf with his friends and both of his beloved wives. We will always remember him saying, “To make a long story short,” “To thine own self be true”, and “Life is good.” His optimism, humor, steady strength, and encouraging spirit touched countless lives. Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Everett and Camille (Morrill) Herrerias; brother, Everett Herrerias; sister, Consuelo “Connie” Bolanos; wife, Sharon; and daughter, Karen. He is survived by his wife, Joyce; son-in-law, Gary Smith; daughter, Anne, and son-in-law, Dan Jones; son, Steve, and daughter-in-law, Karen Herrerias; stepdaughter, Dara, and son-in-law, Brian Patton; and grandchildren, Brian and Andrew Jones, Shawn and Natalie Patton, and Zac and Lauren Herrerias; and seven nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, October 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette, California. Family and friends are invited to gather afterward at the home of Steve and Karen Herrerias in Lafayette. We hope you’ll think of Dick the next time you play a round of golf, cheer for the Golden State Warriors or 49ers, dive headfirst into March Madness, or grill something delicious on the barbecue.

Richard (Dick) Charles Herrerias

June 14, 1934 - July 7, 2025