Herb Depke

Herb Depke, 90 years old, passed away on November 25, 2025. Born in 1935 to Herbert F. Depke and Margaret Nygren Depke, and raised in Danville, Dad graduated from Danville High School with the Class of ‘53. Soon after a stint in college at U of I, Dad joined his father working for Depke Welding Supplies. 

Dad married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Firebaugh Depke in 1955, who preceded him in death in 1990. Dad and Mom have 3 children: daughter Lori (Donald) Cusick of New Windsor, MD, daughter Sheri (Karl) LaWall, of Merry Hill, NC, and son Bob (Cindy) Depke of York, PA. And 6 grandchildren: Krista Cusick, Kayla Will (who preceded Dad in death earlier this year), Paige LaWall, Gretchen (Keagan Chipp) LaWall, Erika (Luke) Elliston, Michelle (Devon) Simpson,  7 great grandchildren: Cadence Will, Ezra Alcantar, Myles Simpson, Danica Dougherty, Delanie Dougherty, Greyson Chipp, Norah Elliston. 

Our father married Jodie McPherson, née Luke, a high school classmate, in 1995. They lived in Loveland, OH until her untimely death in Sept of 2001. 

Dad will be remembered as an adventurous sort, who especially loved the American Southwest. In July of 1965, he and our mother took the 3 of us as young children, ages just 4, 7 and 8 on a four-day hike across the Grand Canyon. That was an undeniable feat. We returned to the Southwest several times over our earlier lives. 

As a voracious reader, Dad enjoyed many hobbies: studying the Pyramids, the death of JFK, photography, camping, backpacking, computers, and most of all, genealogy, which is how he’ll likely be remembered by many of the folks who knew him, “cousins” or otherwise. 

Dad was a 32nd degree mason in the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, Illinois. He took his degrees in the Fall of 1957 and proudly received his 60 year Scottish Rite membership commemoration pin in 2017. He was a member of Cary Lodge #198 in Cary, NC.

Our father has requested no memorial service. His final resting place is next to our dear mom, Pat, at Springhill Cemetery. Arrangements have been made with Wilkinson Funeral and Cremation of Greenville, NC, and Kruger Funeral Home (formerly Pape) in Danville.      

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