When reflecting on Herbert “Herb” Hoyack, people immediately smile. His irreverent humor and movie-worthy life stories made every moment in his presence a joy. He was an unbelievably devoted husband, father and grandfather. As a man enamored with the cosmos, it’s apropos to say that familial love was the North Star by which he guided his life. So, when Herb passed away unexpectedly on November 13, 2021 at the age of 77, he left a great hole in the lives of all who knew him.

Raised in a hill-side community on the Monongahela River, in La Belle, Pennsylvania, alongside close-knit family, including his sister Paula, and friends, he made mountains of memories. His grandchildren would be the first to say that they only wish they were allowed to do half of the things he did when spinning tales. Herb’s unending energy, limitless curiosity, and verbal acuity led to fantastical experiences as a youth and made him a natural-born teacher as an adult. He graduated from California State University and started a life-long career as a secondary school science teacher.

It was during this post-grad era that Herb was introduced to Connie, in a fairy-tale Christmas hayride blind date. For Herb, she was everything. He snapped beautiful photographs of Connie, wrote her loving notes, and ultimately, the two were married on May 20, 1972. His wife’s love was also profound and only deepened over time. When his children came, Herb was a committed, involved and loving father. They all made innumerable memories on cross-country trips, fishing, canoeing, watching favorite movies, and sharing deep thoughts before saying goodnight.

Herb was predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth and Herbert, Sr. He is survived by his wife, Connie; his daughter Heather, her husband Chris, and children, Isabelle and Matthew; his son Michael, his wife Karen, and children, Andrew, Ben and Claire; his sister Paula, her husband Ernie, and their children.

Family and friends will be received at Douglass Funeral Home, in Amherst, MA, on November 23, with visitation hour from 4-5 and a funeral service immediately following. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society https://www.lls.org/, whose research directly benefits people suffering from blood disorders, a cause that meant a lot to him.