Sanford "Sandy" Herman

Sanford "Sandy" Herman, 87, who was a quick wit, a true friend, devoted husband and father, gentle soul and unapologetic punster away on Tuesday, October 30, in Katy, Texas. He is survived by Ruth, his loving wife of 50 years, and by his three children -- Roberta Herman Dietrich and her husband Michael, Phyllis Leibowitz, and Ed Leibowit, and his wife, Mary. Sandy was born on May 24, 1931 in the Bronx - the only child of Nettie and Hymie Herman - and was raised in the shadow of Poe Park and the Bronx Zoo. In the public schools there, he developed what would become lifelong passions for Spanish and math. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton high school, he enrolled at New York University on a full scholarship, determined to become an engineer like his favorite uncle Saul. He would earn his masters degree in engineering from Cornell, and his doctorate from New Jersey School of Engineering. He began his professional life at the Curtiss-Wright aeronautics company. (One might say "his career took flight there.") He went on to work as a mechanical engineer for the engineering firm Walk, Haydel and Associates. In the mid-1970s, he moved to New Orleans. There, the Herman family joined the Gates of Prayer synagogue, where Sandy became an energetic member of the temple brotherhood and a featured tenor in the choir. While he was never crowned King of the Carnival, he was always a dependable fixture at the Krewe of Iris Mardi Gras ball. In formal tux, white tie and tails, he could be seen doing his best Fred Astaire dance moves -- de rigeur. Sandy and Ruth loved exploring the far reaches of the world together, and their travels took them from Italy to Costa Rica to Russia to Alaska to New Zealand to Israel. While they were very active in these adventures, their favorite place to get away was Aruba. They discovered this One Happy Island when they lived in Venezuela in the late 1980s, and would return there, every year, for the following three decades. In November of 2005, as they embarked on their golden years together, Sandy and Ruth moved from their home in Fondren Southwest and settled in Eagle's Trace, where their zest for life and shared warmth put them in the center of that vibrant retirement community. We will miss you Sandy - but the vitality, humor and playfulness you brought to all our lives will always be with us. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Temple Sinai 13875 Brimhurst Drive Houston, TX 77077 Or The Alzheimer's Association 6055 South Loop E, Houston, TX 77087

Sanford "Sandy" Herman

May 24, 1931 - October 30, 2018