About

Hechts' Frying Fish: A Family Tradition of Service and Love

Dad always believed in keeping things simple. For him, perfection began with freshly thawed Icelandic cod — North Atlantic, of course — rinsed in cold running water. Then came a simple egg soak, a coating of cracker meal and corn meal, and a careful fry at just the right temperature, 340 degrees, until the bubbles told him it was done. When that golden piece of fish came out of the fryer, crisp and steaming, all you needed were fries and creamy coleslaw to make it a perfect dinner.

That was Dad — Bob Hecht — a man who could turn ordinary ingredients into something special, not just because of what he cooked, but because of what his cooking meant.

It all started back in the 1950s when Dad began preparing fish dinners for his Knights of Columbus Council 3730. For many families, especially within our faith community, frying fish symbolizes more than a meal-it embodies faith, fellowship, and tradition. No one knew it then, but those humble gatherings were the beginning of a family tradition that would grow far beyond anything Dad could have imagined.

Throughout the 1960s and ’70s, word of Dad’s incredible fish spread. What started with his K of C Council soon reached Catholic churches across north Dayton. When our family moved from East Dayton to Centerville, the southern parishes began to call, too. Everyone wanted in on the “Hecht fish experience.”

By the late 1970s and early ’80s, our family was helping organize fish fries as fundraisers for parishes and schools all around the Dayton area — St. Albert’s, Incarnation, St. Charles, Bishop Leibold (now run as St. John Paul II), St. Brigid, Ascension, St. Francis, St. Leonard’s, Alter, and so many more. What began as a small family effort grew into a full-blown operation, with eight to ten fish fries each year between January and April. Today, the Hecht family cooks over 5,000 pounds of fish annually.

When Dad passed away in 1999, Mom — our leader and the heart of our family — made sure the tradition continued. Right up until she passed at age 95 in 2021, she was still there in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, working harder than anyone.

We eventually gave our efforts a name: Hechts’ Frying Fish. It’s not a business — never has been-but a community of volunteers united by faith, service, and gratitude, encouraging the audience to feel connected and appreciated.

With nine children, twenty-five grandchildren, thirty-two great-grandchildren (and counting), and the cousins and friends who are the true volunteers, everyone’s involvement keeps our family tradition alive, fostering pride and a sense of shared purpose among the audience.

Our kitchens are busy, hot, and noisy — but they’re filled with laughter, conversation, and the unmistakable feeling of family. The clang of fryers, the smell of fresh fish, and the chatter of kids all mix to create something that’s more than a meal.

It’s tradition
It’s faith
It’s family

And it all started with Dad, a few pounds of fish, and the simple belief that good things happen when you keep it simple — and do it with love.