Memorial
With sad but immensely grateful hearts, we share the passing of our beloved Herbert “Herb” Wamboldt Jr. (81) who transitioned peacefully on January 18th, 2024, surrounded by his family in the loving care of University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics’ palliative care team. His battle with serious medical issues in recent years were met with his courageous spirit in facing all of life’s challenges with a smile. Despite every difficulty, Herb fought until the end and we will honor his legacy every day by showing up in the smallest of moments and living our lives to the fullest.
Herb was born on November 17th, 1942, in Pittsburgh, PA, to Margaret (Kasovich) and Herbert Wamboldt Sr., and was the third of six siblings: Dolores (Ackerman), Margaret (Parkes), Walter “Ed”, Mary Ann (Merz), and Harry. He bravely served our country in the US Air Force and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He went on to pursue a career in electrical engineering, completing his bachelors and MBA while working full-time.
Family was the cornerstone of Herb's existence. He met the love of his life, Mitzi (Weiss), and they were married on July 6th, 1968. Together, they moved from their hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, for a short stint in Stow, OH, followed by a decade in Cottage Grove, MN, before Herb’s career at General Mills took them to Cedar Rapids, IA, in 1983. They created many memories and built lasting friendships over the next 37 years before moving to Iowa City in 2021 to be closer to family. Herb and Mitzi were exceedingly proud of their two children, who married wonderful partners that quickly became their favorite bonus kids: Herb (Lisa) Wamboldt III, and Jen (Josh) Johnson. Herb also found great joy in his role as grandpap to seven amazing grandchildren who he adored: Tyler (21), Emily (20), Katherine (18), Brennan (18), Alexandra (16), Gabriel (14), and Harper (10).
Herb’s legacy will be forever etched on the hearts of those that knew and loved him. His unending kindness, quick wit, generous spirit, brave heart, and deep love for his family will be remembered and cherished.
The family plans to host a celebration of life in early summer 2024 to honor Herb’s tremendous legacy. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Palliative Care Unit at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics where he was treated with utmost care, love, and dignity in his final days. To donate, please visit https://uihc.org/services/supportive-and-palliative-care and scroll down to “Make a Gift Online”. Once on the donation page, you can scroll down to “Make this a Memorial or Honorary Gift” and include his name there.
Rest peacefully, dear Herb/Dad/Grandpap. Your light will never dim: it continues on, forever shining brightly through all who had the great privilege of knowing you.