The following is the obituary for my very good friend Herb Brabandt
of Louisville, Kentucky. Many of you know him well. In his prime he
was heavily involved in the collecting and preservation of mechanical
musical instruments. He had a lot of impact on our hobby and will be
greatly missed.

Herbert J. Brabandt, Jr., passed away on Friday, January 20, 2023,
in his 85th year after a short but fierce battle with cancer. Left
to cherish his memory are his wife, Jo Ann Brabandt; beloved daughters,
Vicki Brabandt and Lisa Brabandt; step-daughter, Diana Vandeveer; three
grandchildren; three great-grandsons; nephews; cousins; and friends.
He was predeceased by his father, Herbert Brabandt, Sr.; mother, Vivian
Hess; stepfather, Charles Hess; Mary Lew Reneer Brabandt (mother of
Vicki and Lisa); stepdaughter, Wendy Trenum; brother, Ronald Brabandt,
Sr.; and son-in-law, Keith Vandeveer.

Herb embarked upon his career in high school working weekends at an
engineering company designing equipment used in the refrigeration
industry. He went on to obtain a degree in Physics from the University
of Louisville. He wrote several chapters in "The Handbook of Foamed
Plastics" and then his professional career was off and running. He
consulted in the field of foam plastics prior to accepting a position
with Corning Glass where he spent the balance of his career until
retirement. His passion was band organs and travel, which often were
combined.

Services will be at 11 AM on Tuesday, January 24, at Ratterman & Sons
Funeral Home, 3800 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40218, with burial to
follow at Cave Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3-8 PM on Monday,
January 23 at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy can be made to
Hosparus Health or WHAS Crusade for Children. Condolences may be shared
at https://www.ratterman.com/obituaries/Herbert-Brabandt/#!/TributeWall 

Ted Waflart