Mr. Herbert was born in Hastings, Florida on January 11, 1926 to Clarence and Hattie Herbert. He was the eldest of six children. After serving in the army where he was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, he returned to his hometown of Bamberg, South Carolina where he met and married Thelma Milhouse. They had five children, and after the birth of their second child, he relocated the family to Brooklyn, New York. Having a desire to be self-employed, Mr. Herbert searched for a niche to call his own. He became interested in upholstery but was met with many obstacles in obtaining training. Nevertheless persevering, he finally got his certification and eventually opened Herbert's Upholstery at 155 Tompkins Avenue for well over 40 years. He diligently served his community and was recognized by the Urban League for his lifetime accomplishments in business prior to his retirement. His other passion was gardening. He was the lead gardener at the All People's Community Garden. And even at the ripe age of 90, he was still gardening and sharing his produce freely with the neighborhood. In 2019, he received the NYC- GreenThumb-Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fossie was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Thelma; brothers, Clarence, Charlie, Fred and sister, Dinah Mae. He is survived by his brother, Eugene and children, Lois, Vernell, Sammie, David, Theresa (Blaine) and Michelle. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Ashley, Anya, Kimberly (Chris), and Elijah and his great grandchildren, Kyah, Freya, and Ares. Fossie is remembered by many nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.