Patricia Moorehead Blocher Herpel, 92, of Vero Beach, passed away on Jan. 27, 2015, with her children by her side at the VNA Hospice in Vero Beach.
She is survived by her son Frederick Henry Herpel of West Palm Beach; daughters Sara (Gary) Herpel McClure of Carbondale, Colo., and Martha (Prescott) Herpel Terry of Lake City, Fla.; and grandsons Prescott LeBreton Terry, Jr., and Andrew Herpel Terry.
She was preceded in death by her parents Harry Blocher, Sara Blocher, brothers Reid Blocher and Dale Blocher, and husband Henry Herpel.
Herpel is the daughter of the late Sara Moorehead Blocher and Reverend Dr. Harry Haiber Blocher. She was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where her father was the minister of the Wyoming Presbyterian church. She attended the Wyoming School from first through 12th grade and graduated from the College of Wooster in 1944 and received her Master’s Degree in education from Florida Atlantic University in 1962.
After graduation from Wooster, Herpel served on the administrative staff of the college for two years. In 1947 she moved to West Palm Beach to be the Director of Religious Education at the First Presbyterian Church on Datura Street and Olive Ave., where she met Henry Ketchin Herpel. She and Henry were married Aug. 12, 1948, at First Presbyterian Church where their families united.
Shortly thereafter the Blochers and the Herpels, now both of West Palm Beach joined The Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. The Herpels had three children all whom were baptized at Holy Trinity where she remained a life time member.
She was a member of the Junior League of the Palm Beaches and was president of the league from 1956 through 1957. She was a founding member of the South Florida Science Museum as well as a member of P.E.O chapter’s AL and GM of both West Palm Beach and Vero Beach.
Herpel started her teaching career at the Central Elementary Palm Beach High campus in 1963-1964 year and continued to teach at South Olive Elementary from 1965 to 1982 . Her teaching skills turned out some of West Palm Beach’s finest citizens which she never stopped talking about until the end of her life. She always seemed to favor the worst ones but loved them all dearly.
Upon retirement, she moved with her husband to their summer home of 27 years in Redstone, Colo., which was their mountain retreat from 1977 to 2004. The couple eventually moved to Vero Beach in 2002 where they honeymooned at the Driftwood Inn in 1948. As of recent, Herpel was a member of Christ Church Vero Beach.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Holy Trinity Church in West Palm Beach, Christ Church of Vero Beach, or Church of Redstone in Redstone, Colo.
A service will be held at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 211 Trinity Place West Palm Beach, FL 33401 on Feb. 3, 2015, at 2 p.m. and a Columbarium Internment Service at a later date.
