RIP Herb Hornung
Posted by justin on 05 Nov 2008 at 04:17 pm | Tagged as: announcements, art paparazzi, outsider, r.i.p.
Found out via Mark Jones at the Halloween Bike Ride that Herb Hornung, the owner of the Wooden Nickle Museum, and creator/inventor of both full and single color double sided wooden nickle presses, passed away on Oct 20, 2008. I had the opportunity to meet and photograph him a few months back for a story done by the San Antonio Current. I really enjoyed my short visit with him that day, and came away with a wonder and newfound respect for a man who would build mechanized wooden nickles printing presses from scratch. I was only allowed to photograph one of the working presses, as he said that design was widely known, his full color machines were, and still remain to be, top secret.
I only found out about Herb’s death today. We had been friends for over 30 years and we were lucky enough to be able to get a personal tour of the Wooden Nickel Factory…what a fun place…and as an old friend…Herb was amazing…he will always be missed!
I am an American currently living in Ripon,England. Herb and his company has been a hugh support for a tradition which has been taking place in Ripon since 886. Their wooden nickels have been given out to the visitors of Ripon over the past few years and to date we have given out nearly 15,000. When I contacted Herb about a charity walk of 886 miles, The Kindness of others Tour, Herb donated 886 coins to the cause. I had the chance to meet with Herb when my family and I was touring Texas. He gave us a guided tour of the wooden nickel, posed for several pictures with me and my family and gave the kids spare wooden nickels. I first learned of his death from a email from one of his friends at the Wooden Nickel. It is strange how having only met him once it made such an impact. I have dedicated the 1st mile of my walk to him and I will be sending a certificate to the Wooden Nickel to mark the event.
Justin, thank you for putting up such a wonderfull Memorial in Herb’s Honor. He indeed was (and still is “an Artist”! I miss him so very much, tears well in my eyes as I type this. His daughter no longer saw fit that I be the expert digital scanner for Americas Books CDs. Even though I no longer work in the back rooms of the Wooden Nickel, I’ll never loose that heart string connection to My Beloved Boss Man. His burial anniversery is approaching, and as I visit his grave, I’ll tell him you said hello and a final ciao! I miss him so much, As does Joe, and I’m sure the hundreds of friends and business associates. Herb never met a stranger and I don’t know a single person who didn’t find him an absolute Joy. As you walk, each step you take, I’m sure Herb’s watching from above, he never stopped walking, moving, busy bee as he was. I hate to say the word “was”, I’m sure he’s in heaven building some great new invention for the greater good of man kind! Or perhaps he’s an angel of master of communications and some lucky person’s Angel!
Warmest Regards, Wanda Grantham aka W.W.W. his expert digital scanner from http://www.ABCD-USA.com