Herbert “Herb” Cleveland entered Life Triumphant on July 5, 2022. Herb was born in Perry OK as an “oil patch” child on February 8, 1938, to Herbert and Maxie Cleveland. He was surrounded by loving parents and devoted aunts and uncles while growing up around Strawn and Fort Worth, TX. Herb was mentored as a grade school student by Charlie Mary Noble who founded many clubs, notably the Fort Worth Astronomical Society. Aside from his wonderment of astronomy, Herb learned to love God and country, earning his Eagle Scout rank and working at various boy scout summer camps, including Lake George, NY and Philmont, NM. Other passions nurtured by his young Ft Worth boyhood included the Ft Worth Cats Baseball team serving under Bobby Bragan as a bat boy, and his love of golf. Herb and neighborhood friends would hit golf balls down the residential streets of Ft Worth to either Ridglea or Colonial Country Clubs. Herb went to the University of Texas on a golf scholarship and became fraternity president of Delta Upsilon. Between UT and golf, he gained lifelong friends who would later in life encourage Herb to return to his TX roots, eventually moving to Austin in the mid-1980s.

Herb’s varied career paths after college led him to Wisconsin where he established himself in the management of hotels and real estate. The interim years between leaving TX and returning 25 years later, Herb impacted many civic and educational organizations in WI, among them being President of the Waukesha Symphony and a founding member of the Montessori School of Waukesha where his children were educated. Raising three children was his most notable accomplishment during this period.

During the 1970s, Herb was called to make an overnight decision to sponsor and relocate two Cambodian families to Waukesha WI, escaping the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. He did not hesitate the humanitarian request, bringing the Sin Lun and Theng families to WI. The thriving families have remained close to Herb and are a source of joy.

Herb leaves to carry forward his gentle loving spirit and legacy of a truly honorable dad, four children from a blended family: Allison Chase, Herbert “Tracy” Cleveland lll (Barbara), Benjamin Cleveland (Katie) and Katie Cleveland. Grandchildren: Amelia, Eleanor, Andy, Connor and Libby.  Two siblings survive him, Mary Jane Kinnebrew and Barry Cleveland.

Herb is survived by his wife and devoted partner Karen Haviland Cleveland, with whom he shared over 35 years of daily adventures. Their motto, taken from Hemmingway, “There are only two places in the world where we can live happy: at home and in Paris.” Their home embodied  a place of gathering and laughter,  but Paris was the special place which they enjoyed visiting often, imparting their love of travel adventure and art  to daughter Katie.

Herb will be buried in a private service at the Davidson Cemetery in Mingus TX alongside so many family members who helped shape his young life and develop his character of kindness and generosity which he imparted equally to a new golf partner or to a stranger on the road. Herb was simply, yet nobly, “a prince of a man,” and his gentle touch and positive spirit encourages those left behind to do good deeds and embrace an adventure every day.

Memorials are welcome:

The Michael J Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research: https://www.michaeljfox.org/d…

Transitions Life Care of Raleigh, NC:  www.transitionslifecare.org/d…

or to an organization of your choice.

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