HERBERT HOMES

HOMES--Herbert Charles. 86, of Bronxville, NY, and Nantucket, MA, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Wednesday, June 5th. Born in New York City on November 21, 1926, he was the son of the late Frieda and Charles Homes, 1st generation Americans. He was a graduate of the High School of Music and Art and NYU Business School. He met his wife of 64 years, Shirley Williams Homes, while at Emerson College in Boston. Herb was a WWII Veteran of the Air Force. Through the GI Bill, he attended The School of Radio and Television Technique, and his destiny was set. When offered a one-day job in the Channel 11 WPIX mail room, he used his charms and skills to advance into directing major productions at PIX. He directed and produced "The Ted Steele Show", a live variety show of the 1950's. He also directed and produced the popular WPIX schedule of children's shows i.e. "The Chuck McCann Show", "Bozo the Clown", "Officer Joe Bolton", "Captain Jack McCarthy" and more. After a brief stint at Colpix Records, and weekends directing live news briefs at the RCA Pavilion at the New York World's Fair, Herb joined the early years of Channel 13 WNET in 1967. He ran production in the heyday of public television and was producer/director of the Channel 13 Auction. Over the decades, as his negotiating skills became evident, he was named Director of Labor Relations where he remained until his retirement at 80. Having spent nearly 60 years in television, Herb continued to enjoy summers in his cherished home on Nantucket with his wife and a parade of family and friends. He will be missed more than words can say - a finer and funnier man we've never known. He is survived by his wife Shirley Homes, sister Phyllis Lewis, daughter Pat Catchpole, son Peter Homes and his wife Gina, grandchildren Alexandra Catchpole, Jessica, Jeffrey, Judith, Jenn and JR Homes, many nieces and nephews, and a fan club too big to list. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, www.nantucket-conservation.org. A gathering to share memories of Herb will be held Saturday, June 15th, 1pm at McGrath Funeral Home, 20 Cedar Street in Bronxville, with a nosh to follow.