Beloved husband of Margrit (née Oberholzer), his loving wife of 56 years. Cherished father of Michelle Rossi and her husband Franco of Middletown, MD and Andrea Stover and her husband Doug of Marietta, GA. Proud grandfather to Giacomo and Giovanni Rossi, along with William, Caroline and Margaret Stover all of whom adored their Opa.
Herbert was born and raised in Dinklage, Germany to Franziska and Karl Willenborg. He was the youngest of 4 children and was predeceased by his parents and siblings Kathe Willenborg Schwarzkopf, Margret Willenborg and Karl Willenborg.
Herbert went to school in Dinklage and to the Hüberts’sche Handelsschule in Hopsten, Germany followed by an internship at a bank in Dinklage.
He came to America on April 6, 1961 on the SS Bremen ocean liner into the Port of NYC and began working for his uncle and godfather, John Willenborg at C&J Willenborg, a food importing company in Hoboken, NJ (later located in Ramsey, NJ).
Herbert enjoyed working at C&J Willenborg and over the years held several different positions. His favorite position was when he worked at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Forest Hills, NY. It was at the World’s Fair, while managing and overseeing the Chocolate Tobler exhibit at the Swiss Pavillon, where he met the love of his life Margrit; Margrit had been selected as one of the Swiss representatives for Chocolate Tobler at the Fair.
The connection and love between Herbert and Margrit was immediate. The two married in 1966 in Switzerland and together they settled in NJ.
Herbert and Margrit were consummate travelers with yearly trips to Europe to visit family and friends as well as trips to Asia and the Caribbean. Locally, Montauk, NY was a favorite.
Anyone who knew Herbert knows that he could never sit still for very long. He took pride in doing yard work and enjoyed the many oak trees, squirrels and deer on his property. He loved taking his car “for a spin” and drove weekly to the Bear Mountains, admiring nature along Seven Lakes Drive.
Herbert was a regular at the Montvale tennis courts and played with many friends over the years. He rarely missed a tournament on TV and was proud of his VHS tape collection with matches he had recorded.
He loved surf fishing and casting at the local ponds. For years, he woke early on weekends hoping to catch a nice 40lb striper at Sandy Hook or out in Montauk. He knew all the best spots to fish and followed the tides in the newspaper.
Many benefited from his love, kindness, generosity and friendship as well as his quick witted one liners. His stories, wisdom, wit and love will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
The family will receive relatives and friends at Becker Funeral Home, Westwood, NJ on Friday, February 10, 2023 from 5-7pm. A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Park Ridge, NJ on February 11, 2023 at 10am. Burial will follow the funeral mass at Ascension Cemetery in Airmont, NY.
For those unable to attend the funeral, Herbert’s mass will be live streamed on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 10am on https://urolm.org/live-stream
In lieu of flowers, donations in Herbert’s name may be made to the deeply appreciated men and women of the Montvale Police (PBA Local #303 - 12 DePiero Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645) and Valley Hospice (15 Essex Road, Paramus, NJ 07652).
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