Obituary: David Earl Herr, 1946-2022 

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• Courtesy Photo
• David Herr

David Earl Herr passed away very peacefully at the McClure Miller Respite House on January 16, 2022.

David was born to Howard and Mary Lou Herr on December 1, 1946, in Indianapolis, Ind. Despite having a very traditional, conservative Protestant, Midwestern childhood, David became one of the original beatniks in the ’60s.

David moved to Vermont in 1972, along with many other hippies at that time. There he met the love of his life, Susan Barber. David and Susan were married in 1973. Their love for each other was unwavering through their 48 years of marriage and was a shining example of what a marriage should be. They had one son, Sam, who was the light of David’s life and his whole reason for being.

David carried his love of jazz from his beatnik years through the rest of his life. He was an avid jazz aficionado.

David was also very smart with computers, almost from their inception. Along with his brother-in-law Roger Gillim and John Senning, he formed GHS Associates, a software design company that developed software for the medical field. He then went on to work for Macro International in Burlington, Vt., until he retired.

David loved watching sports, especially football, as well as sampling the various barbecue joints around Burlington. He and Susan also enjoyed traveling the eastern United States, seeing what life was like in other states and, of course, finding the perfect cherries for cherry pie!

In 2010, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. As the disease progressed, David never lost his love of family, love of life and sense of humor. He was supported throughout his disease by his wife, Susan, and son, Sam. This disease is what eventually took his life.

David is survived by his wife, Susan, and son, Sam; his sisters Debbie Denny, Barbara Haggard and Sandy Gillim; his brothers-in-law Roger Gillim and Greg Haggard; his nephews Sebastian Gillim (and wife Tracy), Seth Gillim (and wife Kayla), Jacob Denny, and Shea Denny; and his nieces Molly Haggard Tuthill (and husband Justin Tuthill), Sarah Haggard, and Jessica Denny (and partner Thach Nguyen); as well as several great-nieces and -nephews.

David’s intelligence, love of life, gentle tenderness toward his family and the sparkle in his eye will be missed by many.

The family would like to thank all the hardworking, kind, caring and dedicated people working in the health care industry during these difficult times. You show up every day, often for very little thanks. We are especially grateful to the staff and volunteers at the McClure Miller Respite House for taking such gentle care of not just David but also the whole family. You made David’s passing so much more peaceful.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the McClure Miller Respite House or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.