Robert "Bob" Herbst

Robert “Bob” G. Herbst, 76, of Okemos, died of natural causes in his home on February 21, 2016. Bob was born in Mount Vernon, New York on January 22, 1940, the son of Robert and Lucy Lee (Packard) Herbst. In 1947 Bob’s family moved to East Lansing when his father accepted a position as professor of organic chemistry at Michigan State University. Bob’s love of trains, transportation and woodworking started early in his life and throughout life he found ways to put his passions to work. Bob grew up in East Lansing and attended East Lansing High School (ELHS) where he set and held the 1-mile run record at 4:40.3 for several years. He became an early member of the newly formed Lansing Model Railroad Club (LMRC) while in high school. After graduating from ELHS, he earned an Associate degree from Ferris Institute. In 1962 he enlisted in the United States Air Force. After completing his basic training and advanced training in missile guidance systems, he served on missile bases in Okinawa and Germany during the Vietnam War. After an honorable discharge he worked for Lear Siegler in Grand Rapids and earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Grand Valley State College. Bob combined his model railroad hobby and business skills in a long career with Rider’s Hobby Shop. He was a 60+ year member of the LMRC and was instrumental in starting the club’s annual train show which they host every year in the fall. He also served as the club's treasurer for many years. Bob spent many happy hours train spotting, building model railroad layouts, and working on the recent club expansion project with his friends at the LMRC. His large collection of model railroad trains, acquired over many years, will be donated to the LMRC. He was also a member of the National Model Railroad Association - North Central Region Division 5 and the Missabe Railroad Historical Society. Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in 2000. While PD presented many daily living challenges he never let the disease stop him from pursuing his passions and serving in the community. He volunteered at the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross for many years. With the inevitable progression of PD he enjoyed attending support meetings of the Michigan Parkinson Foundation Lansing/East Lansing Chapter. Bob was a skilled woodworker. Since 2008, he has proudly served the community through the R.J. Scheffel Memorial Toy Project (scheffel-toys.org), an organization that handcrafts over 10,000 wood toys per year for disadvantaged children. He found his work at Scheffel very rewarding. His skills proved invaluable in the power tool room, where he could move easily among the equipment. Bob will be fondly remembered by the workshop volunteers for his willingness to step up and help others, as well as his insights during morning break and at the monthly workshop dinners. Bob is survived by his siblings, Lee (Bruce) Osterling, Bill Herbst (Tamme Haskell), and Emily (Larry) Fasan. A memorial service will be held May 14, 2016 at 11:00 am in the chapel at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes (www.greastlansing.com), 1730 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823. Cremains will be placed in the columbarium wall at Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, MI on May 16, 2016 at 10:30 am. Donations in memory of Bob can be made to the R.J. Scheffel Memorial Toy Project, P. O. Box 23181, Lansing, MI 48909-3181, or to a charity of your choice.