Richard H. Gherst II, CPA

Born March 11, 1943 in Philadelphia and raised near Phoenixville, PA, Richard was the son of Richard H. and Rita (Wenger) Gherst. He joined Price Waterhouse and Co.in Philadelphia in 1964 following graduation from Franklin and Marshall College. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1964 to 1970.

Following ten years in Philadelphia, he transferred to Memphis, TN, to assist with the growth of that office and was admitted to the Price Waterhouse partnership in 1975. He served a tour of duty in the Hong Kong office (1980-1982) and returned to open and manage the office in Tulsa, OK. In 1988, he was appointed managing partner of the firm's Seattle, WA, office. In 1991, he accepted a position in the firm's national headquarters in New York and undertook a variety of responsibilities, including National Director-Japanese Business. This and other responsibilities required frequent travel to the Far East, the Middle East and South Asia. He retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in 1999 at which time he focused more seriously on his golf game and learned to enjoy traveling for fun.

Throughout his career he was actively engaged in community activities, including serving as president of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, starting a new parish and building a church in Memphis, as well as serving on the Board of Trustees at Cascia Hall, a private school in Tulsa. In recent years he was treasurer and served on the board of Phoenixville Senior Center.
His greatest and most rewarding involvement was with Church Farm School (CFS), a 100-year-old boarding school in Exton, PA, dedicated to providing a college preparatory education to underserved boys. He was a member of the Board of Directors from 2007 to 2020, during which he served as treasurer, chair of the Finance Committee, and co-chair of a successful capital campaign.

He is survived by Eleanor, his beloved wife of 54 years, daughters Christine (Scott Zeiter) of Leesburg, VA, Cheryl (Mark Long) of Falmouth, MA, and Richard III (Karen Williams) of Seattle, and five grandchildren; Grace and Ruby Zeiter Gherst, Annabelle Long, Kate and Emmett Gherst.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 9, 2021 at 11:30 AM at St. Basil the Great, 2330 Kimberton Rd, Phoenixville. There will be visitation from 10:15 AM until the time of service at the church. Interment will follow in the Valley Forge Memorial Chapel Churchyard. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions be made in his memory to Church Farm School, www.gocfs.net or 1001 E. Lincoln Hwy, Exton, PA, 19341. To send online condolences, please visit: www.PhoenixvilleFuneralHome.com.