He is survived by his wife Cynthia, whom he married May 28, 1988, and his children Elizabeth Valliant (Barry Dearborn) and Ken Valliant, his step-daughter Jennifer Weiss (Randy Busch), and grandchildren Lauren and Dylan Weiss.
Herbert earned a degree in honors physics from Carleton University in Ottawa and a graduate degree in geophysics from Western University in London Ontario. He was the former Head of the Gravity Instrumentation Section at the Dominion Observatory in the Geological Survey of Canada. He was also a former Senior Vice President at ZLS Corporation. He authored many papers in the geophysical literature and was an international authority in his field.
He was a unique and complex person: a scientist who marveled at the teasing out the order of the universe, the music of the spheres; an artist whose photographic studies show a keen appreciation of the majesty, drama and serenity of Canadian sunrises and sunsets; an inventor whose work in precisely measuring gravity at any location on earth remains the gold standard decades later; a perfectionist with a watch maker’s precision (and the joy that comes from it), whose wood turnings—from chess pieces to lamps—are beautiful to the eye and lovely to the touch.
Herb and Cynthia lived for their entire marriage of 34 years in Balcones Woods. He greatly enjoyed playing bridge with friends in the neighborhood and riding his bike and tricycle around the streets.
He and Cynthia frequently marveled at the wonderful life they shared here. They shared many fun adventures and especially enjoyed attending the Compline Service together at St. David’s on Sunday evenings.
The family extends special thanks to Dr. Paolo Venegoni and Austin Hospice.
There will be a Memorial Service on Saturday, February 18, at 2:00 p.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, with reception to follow.
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