Vincent Herring was born on Valentine’s Day 1943 and passed away unexpectedly on Valentine’s Day 2013. And his life was framed with positive energy and a deeply felt passion of the open water.

A resident of Minnesota and member of the Half Century Club, Herring loved the water – in the pool or in the lakes and oceans around the world.

Despite a valiant attempt of over 12 hours across the English Channel at the age of 65, the former teacher and coach who later founded a successful business, completed a two-way relay across the English Channel with Force 6 America in 20 hours 18 minutes, the Strait of Gibraltar at the age of 64, the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim at the age of 56 in 7 hours 31 minutes, the Swim Around Key West, the Boston Light Swim, the Escape from Alcatraz, a Maui Channel Swim, U.S. Masters Swimming’s 25 km Championships, the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim in 12 hours 34 minutes, and a 21-mile crossing of Lake Mille Lacs in Minnesota in 14 hours 30 minutes at the age of 60.

Copyright © 2013 by World Open Water Swimming Association