Herman Fabert

85, died peacefully with his family at his bedside on April 29, 2007 at Martha and Mary Health and Rehabilitation Center in Poulsbo, WA, after a 22 year struggle with cancer.Herm was born in Pittsburgh, PA on September 23, 1921. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where he graduated from Collinwood High School in 1939. In his youth he was respected on the baseball diamond, feared by Lake Erie perch and enthralled by the Cleveland Air Races. He enrolled in night school at Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve) while working 50 hour weeks helping to manufacture aircraft engines for the war effort.In 1943 Herm reported for active duty in the US Army and after attending Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA, he was deployed with the Army Corp of Engineers to the Philippines where he served in Manila as a first lieutenant with the 29th Engineers, a photocartography unit in charge of producing maps for the possible invasion of Japan.In 1948, Herm received his B.S. in metallurgical engineering from Case and took a position with the American Manganese Steel Company, in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He remained with the company for 37 years, ultimately becoming the technical director for AMSCO. He was a life member of the Tau Beta Pi honorary engineering society, Sigma Xi honorary research society, the American Society for Metals, the American Foundryman's Society and the American Welding Society and was the holder or co-holder of 5 patents for specialty steel processing and welding.Amateur radio was Herm's other technical passion. His interest was first sparked in the ‘30s while in high school, it grew in the Corp of Engineers (not the Signal Corps!), and he received his first amateur radio license in the Philippines immediately after the war. Upon returning home he was assigned the call letters W9FHW in 1949. As recently as late February of this year, he was still transmitting with the same call letters and communicating with fellow hams worldwide-- an over 70 year presence on the air.In 1950, Herm married Madeleine J. Doyle of St. Louis and last June they celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. Theirs was a devoted relationship that helped Herm overcome a challenging bout of polio in 1954 and face the rigors of raising a rambunctious family in the 60's with humor and grace.After spending 17 years in retirement in Hendersonville, NC, they relocated to Western Washington. Herm spent his last 2 years at the Madison Avenue Retirement Center on Bainbridge Island, WA, where he enjoyed the company of many new friends and the proximity of his family.Preceding him in death was his sister Kay Burns of Mentor, OH.He is survived by his wife Madeleine; sons Bruce Fabert of Everett, WA; Kenneth Fabert, MD, of Bainbridge Island, WA; and daughter Gwen Fabert Maitzen of Oregon, Wisconsin as well as 2 granddaughters, Katie Maitzen and Emma Martin Fabert.Herm's humor, integrity, warmth and love touched everyone who knew him. He will be missed by us all.A memorial gathering will be held at the Madison Avenue Retirement Center, 285 S. Madison Ave., Bainbridge Island, WA on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 3:30 PM (Map).Please make any memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society at: P.O Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 or 1-800-ACS-2345 or www.cancer.orgArrangements by Cook Family Funeral Home.