He was born in Jacksonville and prepared at The Hill School. At Princeton, Herdy played on the championship 150-pound football team and was a member of Cottage Club. He majored in economics and graduated with honors.
Herdy’s ROTC experience led to a commission as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery. A short interval the Army allowed before he was required to report to Fort Sill gave him just enough time to marry Betty Payne. He spent the war as a liaison artillery officer with the infantry of the 78th Division. With the infantry he fought in the Hürtgen Forest and across the Rhine, earning a Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, a distinguished-unit citation, and three battle stars. He was discharged as a captain.
After graduating from the University of Florida Law School, Herdy joined the Jacksonville law firm that had been founded by his father and uncle. There he practiced business and probate law for 50 years. Among his many civic achievements was his role in transforming the Bolles School from a small military academy to a competitive preparatory school.
To his wife, Elizabeth; daughters Jean Brinkman, Elizabeth Jolley, Dorothy Marsh, and Frances Howey; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren; the class sends its sympathy.