Herbert Kruger

Herbert “Herb” Wolfgang Kruger passed away peacefully on August 29, 2026 of natural causes near his loved ones.

The eldest of two children, Herb was born in Aalen, Germany on January 7, 1946, to Karl and Maria Kruger. As a teenager, he immigrated to the US with his parents, sister, and Oma, where they settled in St. Louis, MO. Upon graduating Cleveland High School, Herb joined the Air Force in 1964, when he was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona. It was there that he met Mary Ann Bontrager and they married in 1967. They resided in Arizona for several years before relocating to Nashville, TN, eventually settling in Wilson County.

Father to Vicki Lynne and Robert “Bobby” Herbert, Herb worked diligent to provide for his family. For over 35 years, he worked for “the phone company” which changed names several times due to mergers—South Central Bell, BellSouth, and finally ATT—until he retired in 2006.

Herb enjoyed many different hobbies over the years, from racing a Plymouth Road Runner in his younger days, to golf and woodworking, and finally traveling later in life. He often visited friends and family in frequent trips to Arizona, Ohio, Florida and Missouri before discovering the joy of cruises, where he saw Alaska, Hawaii, and most of the Caribbean. Herb loved to laugh and was known for his sense of humor. He was often joking around, teasing, or forwarding jokes via e-mail. Herb deeply held Catholic beliefs, though he was not active in a congregation.

Known as “Pawpaw” to his granddaughters, Herb enjoyed spoiling “the girls” in his own special ways including trips, season passes to Opryland, and frequent dinners out well into adulthood. He was always looking out for them and making sure they were happy and well. Herb showed his love through acts of service from making sure they had safe vehicles to helping with house projects or taking them on a celebration cruise. Herb was present for his granddaughters, whether it was birthdays, school events, celebrations, or simply because he wanted to. He sat through many, many choir concerts, award ceremonies, and graduations over the years, always with a camera in hand to capture the moments.

Herb is survived by his daughter, Vicki Hentz, granddaughters Brandie (Michael) Mayer, Brittany (Andrew) Ash, and Brooke (Owen) Lusk, great-granddaughters Harper and Charlotte Mayer, and sister Marliese Kruger.

Herb is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Kruger, son Robert “Bobby” Kruger, parents Karl and Maria Kruger, grandparents, many dear friends and beloved pets.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at Partlow Funeral Chapel from 2 p.m. -3 p.m. with Funeral Mass to follow at 3 p.m. Interment will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Special Olympics of Wilson County or PAWS of Rutherford County.