Dr. Herbert S. Roth

1930 - 2016

Dr. Herbert S. Roth

Del Mar, CA

Dr. Herbert S Roth has passed away in California where he had made his home for the past 25 years.

He was born November 13, 1930 and grew up in Chicago with Muriel Needlman who he married in 1951 just before entering the Naval Air Service during the Korean conflict. Following his discharge they lived in California for several years; moved to Topeka, Kansas where they both graduated from Washburn University and he worked with the Menninger Foundation; then on to Kansas University where Herb received his Ph.D. in psychology in 1966.

The Roth family moved to Iowa in 1967. Herb worked at the Des Moines Child Guidance Center for five years, founded the Community Telephone Counseling service in Des Moines, and established and was the Primary owner of Social and Psychological Services, a private counseling practice, which he maintained for 18 years.

In 1990 Herb and Muriel left DSM for their new home overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Del Mar, California where he continued his counseling practice and also conducted evaluation and commitment hearings as a San Diego County mental health hearing officer prior to his retirement. Throughout his career and into retirement Dr. Roth was an active member of the American Academy of Psychotherapists.

In retirement he and Muriel continued their love of travel in visiting numerous foreign countries. He was something of a computer "geek" and rarely missed the weekly meeting of the San Diego Senior Computer Group. He was also well known as an accomplished folk singer with an encyclopedic memory of folk music and bawdy songs (some of which were for mature audiences only). He was an avid bridge player, loved to complete crossword puzzles, and was nearly unbeatable at Scrabble - except when bested by Muriel.

Following a marriage of nearly 65 years, Dr. Roth is survived by his wife, Muriel E. Roth and their four children: Jeremy Roth, Jacqueline Roth, Daniel Roth, and Susannah Westwood - all graduates of Valley High School in West Des Moines - and by five grandchildren: Molaki, Samuel, Madelaine, Avery, and Canyon. He will be missed greatly not only by his family but also by his many friends from across the country.