He is survived by his wife, Dona, daughter Martha (Steve Frey), and sons David (Aggy Lun) and Paul (Jeni McEwen). He is also survived by grandchildren Dan and Samantha Lundin, brother Bob (Mary) Lundin, sister LaVerne Burmeister, nephews, nieces, and many other family members and friends.
Herb was born on February 7, 1927, in Niagara, Wisconsin, to the late Josephine (Mendini) and Herbert C. Lundin. Always curious and ready to learn, Herb excelled in his schoolwork and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, all while working various jobs, which included picking fruit at a farm, a paper route, and stocking grocery shelves. In addition, he served as an altar boy, custodian, and all-around helper for St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.
Eager to serve his country in WWII, Herb graduated from Niagara High School a semester early, and at age 17 enlisted in the Navy in December 1944. After completing training as an aviation radioman and naval air crewman, Herb was in Bremerton, Washington, waiting to be shipped to the Pacific Rim when the war ended.
After finishing his commitment to the Navy, he returned to Wisconsin and attended college at the Oshkosh State Teachers College. While there, he met his future wife Dona. He graduated with a degree in secondary education in 1950, and then worked for the Milwaukee Cheese Company and the AAA International Travel Department.
On June 6, 1953, Herb and Dona were married in Oshkosh. He taught high school in Gresham before he and Dona moved to Boulder, Colorado to complete his master’s degree in geography in 1958. The travels weren’t over; he and Dona relocated to Syracuse, New York, for four years, where Herb received his Ph.D. in geography from Syracuse University. In 1962, they returned to Colorado, and Herb taught at the University of Northern Colorado. After daughter Martha arrived,
they made one more move across the country in 1964, this time to Whitewater, Wisconsin, where sons David and Paul joined the family.
Herb spent 26 years teaching and working in administration at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He taught historical and Wisconsin geography to thousands of students over the years, led three student group tours to the Soviet Union in the 1970s, and was the winner of the 1971 Excellence in Teaching Award.
He retired in 1990, but that didn’t slow him down. In 1992, Herb and Dona moved to Waukesha, and Herb was a volunteer tutor for several students learning English as a second language through the Literacy Council, performed puppet shows, gave talks about Wisconsin lore, and helped at the Food Pantry of Waukesha County. In 2012, they found a spiritual home and family with the United Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
Herb’s favorite activities were varied and many: He cherished time at Wild Rose, Wisconsin, where the family camped when the kids were young. He loved teaching opportunities, asking hypothetical questions, eating pickles and chocolate-covered peanuts (not together), camping, examining rocks, writing philosophical essays and poetry, sighting Wisconsin barns, and scenic traveling. He was an excellent cook and a play-by-ear piano player who drew caricatures and artistic doodles and perfected the art of writing backwards. In his last years, he created colorful mosaics using stained glass, completing dozens and giving away many to family and friends. He lived with integrity, gave to others before himself, enjoyed young people, and delighted in stumping people with his word play – until they learned to spot the twinkle in his eye that signaled a joke on the way!
Herb’s family extends a special thank you to dear friends Pam and Jennifer Beiriger; the Linden Court and Hometown Hospice caregivers; and the members of UUUC for their loving care of Herb.
A celebration of life service is planned for Sunday, March 3, at the United Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 506 N. Washington Ave., Waukesha, Wisconsin. Visiting from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.; service at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Food Pantry of Waukesha County, 1301 Sentry Dr., Waukesha, WI 53186, or Greater Waukesha Literacy, 217 Wisconsin Ave., Ste. B16, Waukesha, WI 53186.
