Donald F. Herdeg ’51

Donald F. Herdeg ’51, who blended an active, contributive life as a volunteer in his community with a productive 35-year career in design engineering, died in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, on September 8, 2013. Don came to Dartmouth from Deerfield Academy. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the combined Tuck/Thayer business/engineering program. He was a member of Zeta Psi, Glee Club and Yacht Club. Don served in the U.S. Air Force after graduation, then joined General Electric Co. as a project engineer. He spent 27 years as a design engineer with United Shoe Machinery Corp. in Beverly, Massachusetts, developing a number of successful computer-controlled stitching machines. He retired in 1988. Throughout his life he was an active volunteer. Organizations to which he devoted his talents included the Boy Scouts, the Wenham (Massachusetts) Museum and the Beverly Conservation Commission. He sang in his church choir and served on its boards of deacons and missions. He was an umpire in the softball league of his wife, Esther. Other passions included model railroading, photography, camping, travel, golf and the Boston Red Sox. Besides his wife Don is survived by three children and seven grandchildren, including Allison ’11, and cousin Parke Sickler ’51.