His Story
A life shaped by faith, family, discipline, learning, service, and the belief that there is always another way forward.
The Foundation of His Life
Milton Herring Jr. was born on February 13, 1953, in North Carolina. Before he became an athlete, a soldier, a scholar, or a leader, he was first a son whose life was shaped by the enduring love, faith, and guidance of his late parents, Milton T. Herring and Mae Lillie Herring. Their faith, wisdom, and example became the foundation upon which Milton built his life.
From his father came strength, resilience, and the reminder that even when life makes you weary, “You can give out, but you CAN’T give up.” From his mother came unwavering love, steadfast faith, quiet wisdom, and the importance of family. Together, they instilled in Milton the values that would guide him throughout his life: trust in God, a hunger for knowledge, loyalty to family, humility, perseverance, and the courage to keep moving forward with hope.
North Carolina Roots
In his early years, Milton remained in North Carolina for a time to help care for his beloved grandmother Daisy before later joining his family in New York. That part of Milton’s story matters because responsibility and loyalty were already woven into who he was.
Discovering His Gift
When Milton came to New York, he entered Marlboro Central High School in the eleventh grade. What makes his high school story remarkable is that he had not grown up playing football for years like many athletes do. It was not until high school that he first picked up a football — yet once he did, people quickly saw something different in him. He had speed, focus, discipline, and the kind of confidence that made others believe he could win before the race even began.
A Champion Emerges
Milton excelled in football and track. He became a New York State Section Track Champion, served as Vice President of the Student Body, and became known as the athlete who could bring the race home. Family stories recall that when Milton ran the final leg of a relay, people believed that no matter how far behind the team might be, if Milton had the baton, there was still a chance. He carried that same spirit throughout his life: determined, focused, and unwilling to quit.
Union College
His athletic ability and academic promise led him to Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. At Union College, Milton continued competing in football and track, served as team captain for indoor and outdoor track, and became an intercollegiate sprint champion. He was also active in fraternity life, leadership, and community-centered activities.
United States Army
Milton proudly served in the United States Army as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. He trained as a Legal Clerk and Court Reporter and served within the Judge Advocate General’s Office, supporting legal assistance and prosecution. His military service reflected intelligence, courage, discipline, professionalism, and honor. He was a proud paratrooper and a proud soldier.
A Life of Learning and Reinvention
After his military service, Milton continued to build a life defined by learning, reinvention, and service. His professional experience included IBM East Fishkill, the New York State Division for Youth, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Time Warner Cable, Cox Automotive, and other roles that drew on his technical, legal, counseling, communication, and leadership abilities. Milton was never limited to one field. He was always learning something new, always improving, always searching for the next possibility.
The Thinker, Artist, and Renaissance Man
Beyond his work, Milton was a true renaissance man. He was a great chess player, a fantastic artist, a lover of comic books since childhood, a guitar player, a reader, a thinker, and a man who had an endless appetite for ideas. He also had an interest in karate and carried the discipline of a martial artist in the way he approached life. He loved fishing, writing, music, conversation, and the kind of deep thinking that challenged other people to look at life differently.
His Philosophy
Milton was known for conversations that could last for hours. He had a way of saying something that would stay with you long after the conversation ended. One of his favorite questions captured the way his mind worked: “If all that you know… is all that you know… can you tell me something that you don’t know?” For Milton, that was not just a clever question. It was a challenge to grow, to research, to learn, to stay curious, and to never assume that the knowledge you already have is all there is.
Faith Through the Fight
Since 2017, Milton faced tremendous health challenges, including cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease. Yet even while battling illness, he did not want life to revolve around disease. He often redirected conversations away from sickness and toward life. He wanted to know what was happening with you, what you were learning, what you were thinking, and how you were growing. He refused to let pain take ownership of his identity.
Milton lived with faith. He knew God, honored God, and carried belief through hardship. He endured more than many people could imagine, yet he continued to smile, joke, think, question, and hope. He did not give up. He fought to the very end until God called him home.