Herbert Frederic MacAlpin

Herbert Frederic MacAlpin (known to family and friends as Bert) died peacefully in his home in Fallbrook, Calif., on May 1, 2010, five months shy of his 80th birthday, after a long battle with esophageal cancer. He was born October 13, 1930 in Glendale, Calif., to Frederic and Christine (nee Wright) MacAlpin.

Growing up in Sherman Oaks, Calif., he became an alumnus of the Sherman Oaks Grammar School, Van Nuys Junior High, and Harvard School (military). From an early age he showed great manual dexterity, cleverness with tools, and interest in science. He loved to make things, and could build or...