Charles E. "Chick" Herbert

October 16, 1925 to April 24, 2010

Charles E. "Chick" Herbert passed away unexpectedly on April 24, 2010 in Des Moines, Iowa while dining with friends. A shock to all, yet fitting with Chick's tradition of doing things his way, short on frills and fanfare- he was closing in on a young 85 years of age.
Chick was born in Illinois to Frank and Ella (Toni) Herbert on October 16, 1925. He and his two older brothers, Frank and Tom, spent their early years in Savanna and later moved to Macomb. His father owned and operated F.A. Herbert's Menswear and certainly instilled in Chick his abiding attention to rep ties and white oxford shirts. Chick attended Rice University for a short time, followed by a commission as an ensign in the U.S. Navy. He entered Iowa State, lettering in basketball and graduated in 1951 with an Architectural Engineering degree. Prior to his impressive career in architecture, he honored a commitment to his father-in-law and delivered Falstaff beer in the Des Moines area for one year - and that was that.
Chick met Adrienne, a West Des Moines beauty, at Iowa State. Their marriage in December 1950 lasted 47 years and included 6 sons, all of whom were raised in Des Moines. The Herbert boys, given the opportunity to spread their wings, radiated in all directions but held tightly to the annual Christmas family gathering in Snowmass, Colorado for nearly 20 years.
Following Adrienne's death in 1997, Chick serendipitously re-met and married Marilyn Connelly, the maid of honor in Chick and Adrienne's wedding. Chick and Marilyn split time between their respective homes in Wisconsin and Iowa and Chick grew close to Marilyn's children, their families and her friends. They were happily married for nearly 11 years until Marilyn's untimely death in 2009.
Chick's passionate commitment to design and innovation had a profound impact on the traditional landscape that was then central Iowa. In 1961, he founded Charles Herbert and Associates, and then in 1987, evolved that firm into Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck (HLKB) Architecture. Under Chick's leadership, HLKB developed a regional and national reputation for excellence and in 2001 received the National American Institute of Architects Firm of the Year Award. He left his inspirational stamp on a number of noteworthy buildings in Des Moines, Ames and elsewhere in the state. However, his most extraordinary legacy was to those architects he mentored and the outstanding leadership and service he provided to his profession, demonstrated by being elected to Fellowship by the American Institute of Architects and receiving the Iowa AIA's first Gold Medal of Honor Award.
Chick was preceded in death by his young son Peter, Adrienne and Marilyn. He leaves his sons, Jeff (and Janet) of Helena, Montana; Christopher (and Karen) of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Tim (and Sandra) of San Jose, California, Matt (and Mari) of Seattle, Washington and Chick (and Shari) of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was by his side for his last moments; and Marilyn's children, Craig (Julie), Sally (Dave) and Susan, and a total of 20 grandchildren. In addition to family, Chick leaves behind many friends in both Des Moines and Brookfield, Wisconsin.
A memorial service is scheduled for Monday, May 3 beginning at 10:30 AM at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, with a reception immediately following. Private family burial will be held at Resthaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Chick's honor to the Des Moines Art Center, a very special place for both he and Adrienne. He will be greatly missed.