Andrew Herman

Andrew Herman – Farewell Tribute

February 13, 1938 – August 31, 2022

Andrew Herman, known to most of us as Andy, was the most kind, loving man, always with a smile, a laugh, and often a joke. He loved his family and friends, and most of all, his wife and soul mate, Helen.

Andy was born in the coal mining region of St. Clair, Pennsylvania, the son of a coal miner. He grew up with poverty surrounding him, and knew that his ticket out was education. He was lucky to be accepted into Thaddeus Stevens Trade school (today Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology) in Lancaster, where he graduated as radio and TV mechanic

In 1958, he voluntarily joined the US Army, and served for three years as radio and communications specialist, being deployed to Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. He became a sergeant SP5.

Upon his honorable discharge, he pursued his dream and received his B.S. electrical engineering degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey in 1972. His aeronautical electrical engineering career spanned his entire life, and took him around US and the world, including Germany, France, and in Shiraz, Iran, where he stayed for three years teaching engineers until 1979.

Andy was a man of the world, open to all cultures, and spoke several languages. He had a tremendous interest and love for archeology and history. Andy was especially fascinated by the mining history of gold and minerals, and this thirst for knowledge brought him into the world of gemstones. While living in New Jersey, he took the GIA gemology course in New York City and graduated as a Graduate Gemologist (GG) in 1988.

After Andy moved to Maryland In 1991, he started his small business, Nature’s Bounty, selling minerals and rough lapidary materials, and participated in local gem and mineral shows. He became a member of the Gem Cutters Guild in Baltimore, and the Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society of which he served as President in 1991-92 and received the prestigious Grace Robinson Award in 1997 for his service to the club.

He learned to cut and facet gemstones, and started buying gems for his own cutting, especially tourmalines and sapphires from Montana that he loved. Later, he focused and loved cutting opals, especially black opals and matrix opals from Australia. Andy’s motto, the “hobby gone mad” as he joked about it, illustrates the gem “addiction” that many in the rock and gem world develop.

Andy met his wife, Helen, a renowned gem and jewelry artist, at local club meetings and gem shows in Maryland and fell in love passionately. They got married among friends and family in June of 1996 at the old Greek Orthodox Church in Annapolis. They lived in Davidsonville, Maryland, near Annapolis, where Andy worked at ARINC, Inc. as Principal aeronautical electrical engineer specializing in test system integration programs from 1991 until 2002.

A few years after Andy retired from his engineering career, Helen and Andy moved to Rio Rico, in 2005. They both truly enjoyed living in Southern Arizona, steps away from the border, benefiting from the multi-cultural environment. They visited almost every corner of the state - mountains and desert, historical attractions, museums, and mines, active and closed.

Over the years, always together, Helen and Andy participated in gem and mineral shows and traveled to many places, especially the Western US States, England, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and several times to Greece. Some trips were for pleasure, many for business, often combining both supporting Helen’s artwork and career. They had an amazing life together, close to family and many friends.

Andy is an Honorary Lifetime member of the Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society in Maryland, a member of the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society, and Lifetime member of the Old Pueblo Lapidary Club and the Rio Rico Historical Society. He loved western mining history and enjoyed going to the Old Tucson Studios and Tombstone to watch the historical gunfights and events.

Andrew Herman passed away peacefully at his beautiful home with his beloved wife by his side, after declining health due to vascular dementia. He received amazing care for the past several years from the most caring doctors and staff at the VA in Tucson. For the last month he was lovingly cared by Soulistic Hospice home health care by his nurses Beyanna and Molly and especially the CNA Deanna.

Andy Herman is survived by his loving wife, Helen Serras-Herman, his son Michael Herman who lives in Massachusetts, and nieces and nephews who live in Pennsylvania. He was the oldest of five siblings, who have all passed away.

In lieu of flowers, you can make a Donation to the Old Pueblo Lapidary Club (which you have already entered) or send a check to the Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society at 1014 Marleigh Circle, Towson, MD 21204