Hanover, NH – Frances Marshall Miller Herbert, 91, of Hanover, NH, died peacefully on September 18, 2026, at Kendal at Hanover.
Fran was born on May 22, 1935, in Westwood, NJ, to Estelle and Milton Miller, and grew up with her beloved brother Alan. A lifelong fascination with prehistoric peoples began with searching for arrowheads as a child in NJ. At 13, the family moved to a dairy farm in Norwich, NY, where she learned to love horses.
Fran attended Cornell University on an academic scholarship, studying nursing before switching her major to anthropology, and she later earned her BA in that field at Hunter College. Her passion for the subject took her around the world, from ancient painted caves in France to archaeological digs in Africa.
A blind date with her future husband Walter Herbert changed her course. They married less than a year later and enjoyed 63 wonderful and close years together while raising their four children.
For ten years she volunteered at Blythedale Childrens’ Rehabilitation Hospital in Valhalla NY, making informational videotapes. For twenty years, she was a committed docent with the UCLA Prehistoric Peoples Program, in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
She and her late husband, Walter (Wally), were instrumental in bringing Opera North to the Upper Valley; she chaired their Education and Outreach Committee. And Hanover Garden Club was lucky to have her as the co-chair of the greenhouse for fifteen years.
Fran will be remembered for her sharp wit and her love of family. She enjoyed extensive travel with Wally, playing tennis and spending time with her grandchildren.
She is survived by her children Grace Fidler, Daniel Herbert, Matthew Herbert, and Nancy LaPoint, 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. She lost Wally in July of 2022.
A private graveside service will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to NH Food Bank or Doctors Without Borders.
An on-line guestbook can be found at rand-wilson.com.
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