Joel E. Herron

1951 - 2023

Garden City - Joel E. Herron, 72, of Garden City, Idaho, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, September 24, 2023.

Joel was born March 9, 1951, in Rigby, Idaho to Paul and Susie (Briggs) Herron. Joel attended school in Boise. He was a member of the Followers of Christ Church where he met Kathleen Bowers in the summer of 1966. They dated for 2 years and married in Winnemucca, NV on July 8, 1968. He graduated 2 years later from Boise High School in 1970.

While in high school he shined shoes in downtown Boise at Frank and Nick's shoe store. Upon graduation he worked at the Chrysler Plymouth dealer as a carburation mechanic then at Idaho Blueprint. Joel was an ambitious entrepreneur, while attending college and raising a family he created companies such as Pacific Sprinkler, Pacific Backflow and HR2 Inc where he did home repairs and remodeling. Joel was dedicated to public water quality and shared his passion by educating others for over 30 years. In collaboration with his son Michael, they founded Northwest Backflow Educators, a statewide school for cross connection control and water quality. Joel was instrumental in the early beginnings of Meridian's backflow program, ran the BSU backflow program for years and was currently maintaining the CWI water quality program.

Joel was a talented gardener, photographer and woodworker who thoroughly enjoyed his craft. He treasured the time he spent with his friends, family and children, especially while in nature, hunting, camping and floating on Idaho's many amazing white water rivers. There was never a person he wouldn't help out, or a shortage of friends he could make. Joel was a magnificent man, greatly valued by all who knew him.

Joel is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Kathy; his son, Michael; son-in-law, Justin Reidy; and a granddaughter, Emily Reidy. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Abby Dawn Reidy, parents, sister, JoAnne Allen, and brother, Tom.

Funeral services for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel with viewing beginning prior at 10 a.m. A graveside service will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Dry Creek Cemetery.