Herbert Herman Metzger

Herbert H. Metzger 1915 – 2005 Herbert H. Metzger passed away on April 3, 2005 at 89 years of age. Herbert was born July 9, 1915 in Galveston, Texas, to Herman Metzger and Hulda Paust. When he was very young his family moved to Austin. He was educated in the Austin public schools and studied at the University of Texas School of Architectural Design and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During World War II he served with the U.S. Corps of Engineers in military construction. On November 14, 1942 Herbert married Thelma Smith of Livingston, Texas and they settled in Odessa, Texas. It was their love for the great outdoors, the beautiful Hill Country and it’s lakes that in 1943 lured Herbert and Thelma back to Austin where he worked with the Texas Highway Department in bridge design until his retirement in 1981. Herbert was a founder and charter member of the First English Lutheran Church of Austin. In 1943 he helped organize the Austin Kennel Club and was a member for several years. He also belonged to the Humane Society of the U.S., the Austin Humane Society, the Texas Public Employees Association, the Retired State Employees Association, the Texas Ex-Students Association, and the Longhorn Baseball Foundation. He was a long-time supporter of the National Wildlife Federation. Herbert was a lifelong student of human nature and was often heard to say that he never met a person who did not teach him something. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Thelma Smith Metzger. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First English Lutheran Church, the Austin Humane Society, or the Humane Society of the U.S. The funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 7, at First English Lutheran Church at 3001 Whitis Avenue with Reverend Robert J. Karli officiating. Burial by the Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home will be at the Oakwood Annex Cemetery in Austin, followed by a reception at First English Lutheran Church. Memorials and guestbook online at wcfish.com