Herman Alexander Zullow, the cherished and beloved son of Keith Zullow and Kathleen Moriarty, the loving brother of Madeleine, Lillian and Hannah Zullow, and the adored grandson of Marlene Zullow, passed away on Sunday, August 9, 2020, at the too young age of 20.
Herman was born in Manhattan, New York, on April 19, 2000. He lived almost half his life in Ossining, New York, and then moved to Princeton Junction, New Jersey, where he attended The College of New Jersey.
Herman was a quiet, gentle soul with a quirky sense of humor. As a child, he enjoyed inventing silly characters and games when playing with his younger sisters. He shared inside jokes with his sisters and was often heard laughing late into the night while gaming online with his friends. He also loved his pets (two dogs and two cats) and had a special bond with them. They brought him great comfort and joy, especially during times of turmoil.
From a young age Herman showed a strong interest in the outdoors and nature, something that matured into a lifelong love for hiking and adventure. Between family trips and camps, he bungee jumped and hiked mountains all over the world, including glaciers in Iceland, the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu in Peru, Pulpit Rock and Kjeragbolten in Norway, and many others in the United States. During such hikes, Herman’s compassionate side would shine through, as he could often be found with the slowest hikers making sure that they were okay or raising group spirits through trail games. Herman also surfed sand dunes in Peru, surfed 15-foot waves in Hawaii and even surfed with his sisters in the Arctic Circle.
Herman’s greatest passion was technology. He would take apart old phones and other devices to learn how they worked. This curiosity for electronics morphed into a talent for computer programming and software engineering. Herman was a self–taught programmer in multiple languages and successfully built and fixed computers and other devices for himself and loved ones. Some of Herman’s happiest times were when he was tinkering with an electronic device and searching for ways to make it work.
Since age nine, Herman battled health issues with physical and psychological manifestations, including anxiety and depression. He was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder known as PANS/PANDAS (Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) that caused inflammation in the brain and neurological and psychological symptoms, including anxiety, OCD and tics. He was later diagnosed with Bartonella, an insect borne bacterial disorder that can also have psychological manifestations, including anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, the stress of college combined with his battles with these physical and mental illnesses proved too much for him to bear. Though Herman’s time with his family was short, he touched many lives and was loved deeply by those around him. His family cherishes his memory as the brief gift it was.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial contributions be made to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (https://www.bbrfoundation.org/) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (https://afsp.org/).
To leave condolences for the family visit orlandsmemorialchapel.com