Herbert Theodore Ries Jr.

Herbert T Ries, Jr. was born on February 11, 1942, to Herbert T Ries, Sr. and Jean Ries in Los Angeles and passed away in his sleep at home in Ontario on December 13, 2020. Following his father’s release from the Navy at the end of WWII, the family moved to Pomona to be near his father’s two brothers and to create Ries Refrigeration, a service company located on the family property at the corner of Holt Avenue and Eleanor Street. Since Herb’s mother worked at the business, Herb spent much of his youth at the shop developing such proficiency at fabrication that he was able to build any item which interested him.

During his early teenage years, the LA County Fairgrounds was within bicycle range of the family home. On many Sunday afternoons, Herb, his brother Russ, and two neighborhood brothers would ride their bicycles to watch the newly created drag races in the Fairground’s parking lot. Herb got hooked on cars, drag racing in particular. While attending Ganesha High School, he began building a top fuel dragster. For several years following his 1960 high school graduation, Herb and his partner won many drag race events throughout California and made it to the finals of the Winter Nationals. During this time, Herb continued working with his father at Ries Refrigeration, which is now run by his son Michael.

Herb’s neighborhood lifelong friend and fellow car enthusiast Richard Hibbard and wife Donna introduced Herb to Donna’s sister, Maureen. In 1967, Herb married Maureen (“Skeeter”) Duffy and changed his priority from drag racing to raising a family. However, his interest in building race cars did not go away. Herb and Skeeter had a son Michael (Sandy) and two daughters, Tabitha (Neal Grabowski) and Tifani (JD Goetsch), and nine grandchildren: Maxwell, Wolfgang, and Mikey Ries; Dustin, Jack, Isabel, and Troy Grabowski; Pearl and Rose Goetsch. As the grandsons grew, Herb built many of them trophy cart race cars. He thoroughly enjoyed traveling around the Southwest acting as the pit crew for his grandsons. When not at races, he attended performances and events featuring his granddaughters and grandsons, just as he had once done with his children.

Family meant everything to Herb, and he was the happiest surrounded by them as often as possible. Herb is survived by his wife, his three children and their spouses, his nine grandchildren, his brother Russ (Marty), sister-in-law Donna (Richard Hibbard), and many cousins.

A public memorial service is not scheduled at this time. A celebration of life will be planned when allowed.