William E Herber

William Ellis Herber, Lieutenant Colonel U. S. Army, Medical Service Corps, Bill was born on May 4th, 1935, to William E. and Ruth C. Johnson Herber in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He passed away on February 6th at Hooverwood Nursing Home, where he had resided for six years and received exceptional loving care.

Bill grew up an only child with loving parents. He went to Central High School in Minneapolis. Following High School he enrolled in Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota and then earned an Master’s at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. While at the university he worked as a research assistant at the Industrial Relations Center.

He attended summer school at the University of Norway in Oslo. Upon graduating from university Bill and a friend bicycled through various countries in Europe, always checking in with his parents from an American Embassy. When he came back home, Bill applied for and was granted a direct commission into the U. S. Army Medical Service Corps. Bill served 20 years as a Logistics Officer and Hospital Administrator at Ft. Lewis Washington, Würzburg Germany, Da Nang Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, Vicenza Italy, Nürnberg Germany, Ft. Harrison Indianapolis, Seoul Korea and Ft. Detrick Maryland, the center of the U.S. biological defense program.

Bill was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his services in Vicenza, Italy and Nürnberg Germany from 1968-1972. In Nürnberg he was deeply involved in the organization of the first complete drug abuse complex in Europe.

Bill was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 1975 for exceptional achievements as Chief, Supply and Services at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis.

He was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievements in ground operations against hostile forces from 1967-1968 in Vietnam. For outstanding services as Chief, Logistics Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute, Ft. Detrick, Maryland from 1976-1979, which resulted in the institute’s ability to transport highly infectious patients, Bill was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Bill married Ilonka Stockner when he was stationed at the USA Hospital in Würzburg, Germany where Ilonka worked as Labor and Delivery Room Nurse. During his deployment in Vietnam his daughter Ruth Anne was born.

After 20 years of service, Bill retired in October 1979 and built a home in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was Assistant Administrator at St. Vincent Hospital and participated in the expansion of the hospital.

Following this Bill took the position of Administrator at the Muncie Eye Center. He was responsible for the design and construction of this ambulatory surgical center. He was Founder and President of the Indiana Federation of Ambulatory Surgical Centers.

His last position was General Manager of the Greater Indianapolis Foreign Trade Zone. He expanded it to include the entire airport and added seven sub zones. He was awarded the Title Foreign Trade Zone Ambassador by the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones.

Bill was an active member and volunteer of the Chamber Action at the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.

Bill leaves behind to cherish his memory Ilonka, his loving wife of 57 years, his daughter Ruth Anne Herber and his granddaughter Gabriella Bunting.

A visitation will be held for Bill on Sunday, February 19th from 2-4 p.m., at Crownhill Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m., on Monday, February 20th at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 7200 Sarto Drive, Indianapolis with visitation from 10 a.m., prior to services. All are invited for lunch at the church following services. Interment with Military Honors follows at Crownhill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests any memorial gifts be given to the Hooverwood Nursing Home Employee Fund.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.crownhill.org for the Herber family.