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 Robert G. Herd
December 29, 2003
Robert G. Herd, 79, of 34 Bellmore Drive died Monday at home.
Born in Pittsfield on Jan. 10, 1924, son of John A. and Emma Snavely Herd, he was a 1941 graduate of Pittsfield High School. He attended Dartmouth College and graduated from Yale University with a bachelor's degree in physics.
A Navy veteran of World War II, he served for three years, then attended Midshipmen's School and was promoted to ensign in the Navy Reserve. He resigned from the Navy in 1945 as a lieutenant, junior grade.
Mr. Herd was employed by GE, first in Schenectady, N.Y., then in Pittsfield as a development engineer, application engineer, sales manager and marketing manager. He was a key member of the fleet ballistic missile team during the development and deployment of the Polaris, Poseidon and Trident missile systems. He retired in 1987 as a marketing manager with the ordnance systems division after 41 years of service.
Following retirement, he was a construction volunteer and supervisor for Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, helping build eight homes in Pittsfield, and was a member of the building and public relations committees and the board of directors.
He also wrote numerous articles for Habitat publications.
An active member of the Berkshire Writers Room, he served on the board of directors, chaired a writing group and wrote a number of children's stories and essays. He received the Outstanding Elfun Volunteer award for more than 1,000 hours of volunteer service in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
He was a member of the America Radio Relay League as a licensed amateur operator with the call letters VB1HIZ. He was also a past fellow of the American Institute of Astronautics. He was active in the YMCA for many years and was an avid squash player.
Mr. Herd was a member and past senior deacon of First Church of Christ, Congregational, where he was chairman of the finance committee and served two terms on the deaconate.
He and his wife, the former Marian Elizabeth May, were married Nov. 3, 1945, in Pittsfield.
Besides his wife, he leaves four daughters, Pamela MacKellar of Corrales, N.M., Melissa Galletto of Baldwinsville, N.Y., Deborah Roberge of Acton, Maine, and Jenny Noonan of Dover; two sons, John R. Herd of Pittsfield and Mark W. Herd of Upton; a sister, Shirley Wieber of Naples, Fla., and South Chatham, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
FUNERAL NOTICE -- Services for Robert Herd, who died Dec. 29, 2003, will be private and held at a later date.
There will be no calling hours.
Among survivors are his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Russell and Jean Bousquet of Pittsfield. If friends desire, memorial donations are suggested to First Church of Christ, Congregational in Pittsfield or to Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity in care of WELLINGTON FUNERAL HOME, 220 East St., Pittsfield, MA 01201.
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