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He was born Ralph Pierre LaCock in Clarksburg, W. Va., and moved around frequently as a child before relocating to New York.

Herrick, who was born in Columbus and was previously married, is survived by two sons, Chris and Mark Herrick of the Indianapolis area, daughter Lola Reece of Peterstown, W. Va., five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A friend, David Whelan, 48, of Beckley, W. Va., said Mr. James grew up in the state and that the two of them became close years ago when Mr. James would visit his game and comic book store as a teenager.

In 1974 American astronomers Bruce Balick and Robert Brown pointed radio telescopes in Green Bank, W. Va., at the center of the Milky Way and discovered a dim speck they suspected was our galaxy’s central black hole.

Snow falling above 3,000 feet at Va - W. Va. border...