Obituary of Herbert David Bann

In loving tribute to Herbert David Bann of Las Vegas, Nevada, who passed away on July 17th, 2018. Herb was 94 and passed a year after his wife of 69 years, Beatrice. Herb was predeceased by his father and mother, Joseph and Anna Metz Bann. He had two older brothers, both now deceased, Milton and Sidney. He is survived by his son, Gary and daughter, Sherri. He is also survived by five grandchildren; Angela, Charles, Mitchell, Elaina and Jacqueline and eight great-grandchildren, Yasmine, Jumeriah, Logan, Jacob, Hailey, Zachary, Lucas and Gianni. Born in Spring Valley in New York, Herb was the youngest of three boys. His family lost their home in the Great Depression and the boys grew up in the tenements of the Bronx. Herb loved to fish and tinker and read. His memory was prodigious. On one of his first jobs dispatching telegrams, Herb memorized the codes for every street in Manhattan. He enlisted in the Army to fight the Nazis and was trained as a radio operator and front-line radio repairman. The army being what it was, Herb was sent to the Pacific, where (among other campaigns) he participated in the liberation of the Philippines and the surrender of Japan. In the Philippines, he was wounded when a sniper in a tree shot out the tires of the jeep Herb was driving, and it flipped. He awoke in a hospital and was awarded a Purple Heart. Herb and Bea always shared a joke that he got the Purple Heart for cutting himself on a sardine can. Herb left the army after the war in 1945 and returned to New York to become a New York City taxi driver, where he further honed his aggressive driving skills. Bea spent every ride for over sixty years clutching the car door handle in a white-knuckle grip. It was Herb's sister-in-law who did the matchmaking when Bea visited New York from Toronto and sent Bea and Herb on a blind date. Bea always said that Herb was caught in a "Canadian bear trap." Bea had to return to work in Toronto, but for the next eight months, they exchanged letters every day. Herb saved every letter Bea wrote, hidden in a box in his various garages and moved them from New York to California to Las Vegas. Herb worked as a certified welder in the aerospace industry while going to college. Because the space race was on, overtime work hours prevented him from completing his degree, but he had enough schooling and knowledge to join the design team. He became a respected design and test engineer at Marquardt Corporation, where he worked for over thirty years. Parts he worked on and tested were on the Apollo spacecrafts going to the moon and later the Space Shuttles. Catalyzed by his son's interest, he joined Gary in testing for and getting his Novice Class Ham Radio License, WN6USA. He progressed to his Advanced Class License, WB6USA, which he retained for life. As part of his Ham activities, he volunteered with the Los Angeles Police Department in crime surveillance activities, "Hamwatch". During the aftermath of the 1971 California earthquake, when long distance telephone lines were unavailable, he phone-patched people from all over the country to their relatives in Los Angeles and was awarded a plaque by the Los Angeles City Council. As his son and daughter grew up and left home, Herb and Bea began to raise and show Samoyeds. Niki, Kilo, Lollipop and Kale. Both were active members of the Southern California Samoyed Club, gathering and collating pictures and publishing the annual Samoyed Club Calendar. For their services, SCSC made Bea and Herb Honorary Life Members. Herb became a judge for the United Kennel Club and traveled the country officiating at UKC dog shows. Herb and Bea retired to Las Vegas; Spring Valley to be precise. Herb used to joke that he was born in Spring Valley and would die there. Herb and Bea developed many friendships and could be found every day playing Bingo at the Palace Station and eating dinner at the Casino buffets. In their final seven years, while Herb suffered from debilitating Parkinson's disease and Bea suffered from heart disease, they were cared for by Dr. Robert Milne, MD, of Las Vegas, who provided ongoing treatment, which extended their quality of life using natural therapies. Services are being held for both Herb and Bea on August 1 at 12:40pm at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada. Please omit flowers. In lieu of flowers, Herb's family would prefer a donation to the I CARE FOUNDATION c/o Dr. Robert Milne, 2110 Pinto Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106 for integrative medical care for patients unable to afford natural therapies or the Jewish National Fund to plant a tree in Israel.