Longtime resident, engineer, ‘coordinator,’ advocate for seniors
Bill Herbert. (Courtesy photo)
William (Bill) Herbert, 80, died peacefully in his home May 19, 2019, with his family and friends by his side. Bill was a resident of Wilmington, Vermont, but formerly a 50-year resident of Harvard.
Bill was born December 16, 1938, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He was the son of Edward W. Herbert and Anna (Sheehan) Herbert of Waterbury. He grew up in Waterbury, attended Sacred Heart High School and the University of Detroit, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. He later earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Connecticut.
In 1961, Bill married Carolyn B. Wells of Waterbury, and in 1969 they settled in Harvard, where they raised their two children, Crista and Keith. Bill worked for General Electric and later for Honeywell. He then followed his entrepreneurial spirit and started his own company, Coordinated Services. Upon retiring, Bill worked as a substitute teacher at the Bromfield School and enjoyed working with senior citizens, keeping active with the men’s coffee group and planning excursions for the Council on Aging. Throughout their time in Harvard, Bill and Carol frequently traveled to Wilmington, Vermont, with their children, where they all loved to ski. Bill coordinated many ski weekends, tennis weekends, and wood-cutting weekends. A house full of friends was his greatest joy.
In 2014 Carol and Bill moved to Wilmington, Vermont, to be near their children and grandchildren. In Wilmington. Bill again started a men’s coffee club, which continues to this day. He was a member of the Rotary Club of the Deerfield Valley and attended Our Lady of Fatima Church.
Bill was predeceased by his wife, Carol. He is survived by his daughter, Crista Herbert Gannon, and her husband, John Gannon; his son, Keith Herbert, and his wife, Kathleen Cincotta; and his grandchildren, John Hambleton, Katherine Hambleton, and Kira Cincotta. He has 16 nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and -nephews.
Family and friends are invited to gather to honor and remember Bill at Badger Funeral Home, 45 School Street, Groton on Tuesday, May 28, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Catholic funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Theresa, the Little Flower Church, in Harvard on Wednesday, May 29, at 11 a.m., with burial to follow in Bellevue Cemetery. All those who are able are then invited to gather at Fruitlands Museum for a light lunch and some reminiscing.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Southwestern Vermont Cancer Center, 100 Hospital Drive, Suite 41, Bennington, VT 05201.
