Marie A. "Mitzie" Herbst

Marie A. “Mitzie” Herbst, of Cheshire, died on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at her home at the age of ninety-three.  She was the devoted wife of the late Robert Herbst for over 54 years until his death in 2003.  Marie was born on February 21, 1930, in Flushing, NY, daughter of the late Julius Joseph and Edna Antoinette (Krapp) Schultheis.

Marie was raised in Flushing and attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Sag Harbor. She met her husband, Robert, as a young girl and they were married in 1949 in Flushing, where they had grown up one block away from each other. They relocated to Schenectady before finally coming to Cheshire in 1958.  Not only was Marie a loving and devoted mother to her own children and den mother to the local scouts, she effortlessly filled the role of “Mom” and “Grandma” to countless others.

Marie adored her husband and was supportive of all his endeavors, and at the age of forty-five transitioned from “homemaker and stay-at-home mother extraordinaire” to a formidable businesswoman, helping her husband and sons form their engineering firm, Intergrated Industrial Systems, where she became Vice President and Secretary.  Marie was a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, rarely missing a game, and took great pride in her cooking and gardening. In later years, she became a game show enthusiast and was a big fan of Jeopardy! and Deal or No Deal, often devising her own strategies to win. Mitzie will be remembered not only for her sharp wit and ability to supply the comic relief in every situation, but also for never letting a visitor leave the house without her saying, “If there is anything I can do for you, let me know!”

Marie is the beloved mother of Robert "Bob" Herbst of Ft. Pierce, Fla.; John Herbst and his wife, Tess, of Bonita Springs, Fla.; Donna Marie of East Haddam; Julie Crane of Cheshire; Eric Herbst and his wife, Karen, of Milford; Andrea “Annie” Herbst Wilson of Cheshire; and Michele “Shelley” Morley and her husband, Peter, of Weare, NH.  She is also survived by her cherished 17 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; her brothers, Jerry Schultheis of Oxford, Conn., and Robert Schultheis of Naples, Fla.; and many loving nieces and nephews.  Marie was predeceased by her brother, Jack Schultheis. 

Friends may greet Marie’s family at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire, 615 So. Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410 on Friday, March 10, 2023, from 4 PM until 7 PM.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at 12 PM at St. Bridget of Sweden Parish-St. Bridget Church, 175 Main Street, Cheshire. Friends are asked to meet directly at church. Burial will follow in Cheshire Hillside Cemetery, Wallingford Road, Cheshire.   Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.