Herbert W. Kavash

Herbert William Kavash was born on November 17, 1925, in Lansdale, PA and passed away peacefully on November 30, 2024, with family by his side. Friends and family had the pleasure and fortune of ushering Herb into his 100 th year at a lively celebration at Sandy Run Country Club, in Oreland PA only weeks before his passing.

Herb attended Lansdale High School (Class of 1943), where he participated in track and gymnastics among other sports. While there, he qualified for and was accepted into the United States Navy’s V-12 Officer Training Program, an elite program for officer training and tertiary education at the age of 17. After he completed basic training in Bainbridge, MD, the V-12 Program sent him to prestigious institutions such as Princeton University, Cornell University, Franklin & Marshall College and Middlebury College for his training and education. While at Princeton, he met and became acquainted with Albert Einstein.

While on active duty, Herb was assigned to the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) that patrolled the Atlantic Ocean, hunting German submarines. He was a member of the three-man “Air Plot” “human computer” team responsible for calculating and conveying the amount of fuel necessary and the accurate ship coordinates needed to ensure the fighter pilots’ safe return. He was proud his team never lost an aircraft.

Herb was honorably discharged May 30, 1946. He soon after met Molly Maag at a chance encounter at Fischer’s Pool. After a two-year courtship, they married in 1949 and remained so for 62 years until Molly’s passing in 2011.

Herb held a civilian job at Bell Telephone in Lansdale as a lineman until he started working with Philco-Ford (which would become Ford Aerospace) as a communications engineer. His new role took him through South and Central America and even as far as the Middle East and North Africa, where his met his lifelong friend, Hank Dansak, in Tripoli, Libya in 1960. Herb and Hank remained the best of friends working, traveling the world, and sharing Aberlour scotch together until Hank’s passing earlier this year. 

Herb’s family joined him on his adventures in Panama for two years in the mid-1960’s, after which Herb remained stateside working on notable projects such as the early space shuttle programs on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Once settled back in North Wales, Herb joined Molly in her political activism and community involvement. If you lived in North Wales, it was rare not to know “Molly and Herb.” Herb held active roles with the Fairmount Volunteer Fire Company and the North Penn Volunteer Fire Company. He was the alumni chair of Lansdale High School’s reunion committee, leading annual events through their 75th year. He was also a board member of the North Wales Water Authority.

Herb was a proud, card-carrying member of the following organizations: The American Legion (lifetime); Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW-Post 32) (lifetime); Scottish Rite of Free Masonry (1965); Shiloh-MacCalla Lodge F&A Masons; and the Abou Saad Shriners.

Herb was a master chess player, and those who played him rarely walked away a winner. He loved socializing with friends and family, frequently hosting Friday evening happy hours. He believed in firm handshakes and attributed his longevity to never holding onto stress and a daily (medicinal) serving of scotch-on-the-rocks.

Herb is survived by daughters Connie (Geoff), Sally (late Reverand Ed), Betsy, and Kate (Paul); his grandchildren, Jason, Claudia (Mike), Madeline (Dan), and William; great grandchildren, Bowen, Margot, and Louis. He is also survived by bonus daughter Christine Studenroth and her sons Shawn and Derick, and many other blended and extended family members including Aree, Jackie, and Daniel (wife, daughter, and son of Hank respectively), Marie Thompson and Wendy Weikel (Carl).

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Molly and his sister Virginia; by his parents, John J. and Elizabeth (Haitsch) Kavash; and by his half siblings, Irma, Leonard, Bernard, Johanna, Josephine.

He will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider donations to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church or the North Penn Volunteer Fire Company.

SERVICES will be held on January 18, 2025, at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church: 211 South Main Street, North Wales PA 19454.

CALLING HOURS are from 9am - 12pm, with a funeral service immediately followed by a procession to the Columbarium at St. Peter’s Cemetery.