Herbert BlueHerbert Blue
Herbert L. Blue, 76, of Salt Lake City, Utah, formerly of Astoria, died Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006, at his home.
He was born May 18, 1929, on the family farm near Astoria, a son of Charles and Lucy Blue. He married Alberta "Bert" Wareing on July 12, 1957. She survives.
Also surviving are two sons, Charles (and Lynne) of Wanship, Utah, and Lawrence of Silver Spring, Md.; three daughters, Eleanor (and George) Marlar of Phoenix, Ariz., Maxine (and John) White of Vallejo, Calif., and Kay (and Duane) Bush of Salt Lake City; one brother, Charles of Blandinsville; one sister, Lois Speed of Kerrville, Texas; and six grandchildren.
He attended Cooper School near Astoria and Astoria High School, where he graduated in 1947.
He served in the United States Army from June 1948 to June 1952, attaining the rank of sergeant first class.
He graduated in 1957 with a journalism degree from Texas Western College (now University of Texas at El Paso).
He worked at KTSM television and radio station at the beginning of his career. He then was employed as a technical writer at Thiokol Corp aerospace company, working for the company 20 years. While there he wrote and edited a variety of employee and industrial publications, as well as writing speeches for Thiokol managers.
For several years, he was editor of Aerospace Facts magazine. His work received regional and international awards in the field of industrial publications. He was named Editor of the Year in 1974 by Intermountain Business Communications Association. In 1982, he received the Hicks-Middagh Award as outstanding ex-student by the mass communications department at University of Texas-El Paso.
In 1979 he began his own business, providing editing and writing services for various business in his area. In 1984, he went to work for Iomega Corp., in Roy, Utah, writing technical manuals. He retired in 1992.
He was active in various youth activities, including coaching a church basketball team and serving in leadership roles in Boy Scouts troops.
He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Salt Lake City, where he served as a Eucharistic minister and lector and was chairman of the Parish Council.
A memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at his church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Nature Conservancy, phone 800-628-6860, website http://nature.org; to Sacred Heart Parish Development Fund; or to the charity of your choice.
You may contact the family via e-mail at herbblue@aol.com or by mail at 1423 South 1000 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105.