John Renick Herman
October 24, 1952 – May 18, 2026
John R. Herman passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his loved ones in St. Louis, Missouri on May 18, 2026, at the age of 73. He was a man full of life and great stories — and he left plenty of both behind.
John was born on October 24, 1952, to Audrey (nee Phelan) and Richard Herman. He graduated from Mehlville High School, where he made the lifelong friends who would stay by his side for the next fifty+ years — through fishing trips, ballgames, cold beers, and the long and lively conversations he loved best. On October 5, 1981, he married his beloved wife Kathy (nee Shannon). Together they attended Billikens games with her parents Joan and Lloyd, cherished walks in the park, and raising their children with good family values.
Anyone who knew John recognized his sharp wit, unmistakable smile, and endless supply of tales. (He gave everyone a nickname, had a story ready before you’d even sat down), and could turn an ordinary afternoon into something worth retelling. He liked to call himself “an incredible” — and he truly was.
He spent 30+ years leading the Purchasing department at Star Manufacturing, a commercial cooking equipment company, where coworkers became friends — the kind he’d meet for sporting events and happy hours long after the workday ended. (But it was away from work that John was most himself.)
Summer evenings were spent with live concerts in Francis Park — the whole family on the grass, and Ted Drewes on the way home. Weekends fishing, where he taught his daughters to steer the boat and reel in catfish, bluegill, and bass. Vacations meant the camcorder was rolling and John was narrating: from the white-water rapids on the Colorado River, hikes through Canyonlands and Arches, and Yellowstone National Parks, from the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island to walks on the sand at Orange Beach, AL with his parents and his Aunt Bess and Uncle Jack. He adorned shirts from his travels until they were well worn — and every one of them had a story.
John spun his records with pride— a love of music he shared with his daughters during morning commute to school, classical and jazz playing all the way. He had a sweet tooth so he enjoyed chocolate ice cream, cherry pie, donuts, and a hearty breakfast — pancakes and omelets from Uncle Bill’s, and later the Boardwalk Café. He watched westerns especially staring John Wayne. He really enjoyed Hallmark movies with Kathy — because, he said, ‘nobody in them was mean and the endings were always happy’.
Above all, John showed up. He was an Assistant Coach for his daughters’ grade-school basketball team and was in the stands for every game, music lesson, and school picnic. (Years later, he drove his granddaughter Lily to school & extra-curricular activities with the same commitment he’d shown his girls.) Evenings, he walked the neighborhood with Kathy, and he was rarely far from Skittles — the family’s sweet cat and his faithful little buddy — who napped on his belly, claimed his favorite chair, and strolled the neighborhood with him on a leash like the two of them owned the block. Later in years his granddaughter brought a cat home named Ollie who he happily welcomed.
After John was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in early 2025, he was cared for at home with love and faithful devotion by his wife Kathy and his eldest daughter Erin, alongside his physicians at Washington University School of Medicine.
The picture his family will treasure is a simple one: John in the backyard, a cold beer or wine glass in hand, burgers and brats on the grill, and among friends relaxing and having fun. He never needed much more than good company and good music.
John is survived by his loving wife of nearly 45 years, Kathy; his daughter Erin Herman, (Jason), and granddaughter Lily; his daughter Jessica Herman, (Roman), and their soon-to-arrive baby Layla Audrey; his stepdaughter Julie, her husband Steve, and their children Zach, Alex, and Samantha; and his sister Elizabeth “Betty” McKeown and her sons Dan and Chris.
A celebration of John’s life will be held Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bill Gianino’s Restaurant, 4571 Chestnut Park Plaza (#3135), St. Louis, Missouri 63129.
Condolences and memories may be shared on the Kutis Funeral Home memorial page. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or to Alzheimer’s research at Washington University School of Medicine in John’s memory.