11.14.2025 - Herman Bomback Bench Dedication

Thank you everyone, family and friends for taking the time to be here with us for our ceremony here today to honor Herman Bombback.

Thank you honorable mayor Paul Kugan for making it out here as I heard you knew Herman well. Thank you, city councilwoman Linda Pereira, for everything from the write up for the program, working our requests through the parks department, and for being a part of our planning committee. This could not have happened without you.

Thank you, Reverend Stinson, for your time and prayers.

I understand you knew Herman, too.

Thank you to Laura Bombach who guided us as she helped fine-tune everything that you guys are seeing here today.

Oops.

Thank you, Bill and Paula Dearis. and to the Vietnam veterans of Fall River. This event could not be so put together without your shared resources from the mic that I'm talking uh to you on to ensuring ensuring Herman finally gets the does he wanted for one of his band gigs.

Thank you to the park commission, especially Darren Maderas, who worked tirelessly to help our senior vice commander Bob Giden, who's also with the Vietnam uh veterans. I lost my place.

Oh. To to make this bench dedication a reality.

And lastly, thank you post 464 legionnaires and everyone on our bench committee, especially our senior vice commander who worked on this project for nine months. You all agree that supporting this project was worth investing in and as it brings us to this very moment.

My name is Lisa Borges and I am currently serving as the American Legion Fall River Post um commander. I know who I am.

So, if I have forgotten anybody, the gratitude we have for you and that everyone together makes a difference just like Commander Bombck taught us and how he lived his life. Let's get ready to begin the ceremony.

You guys ready? Honor guard present colors.

and salute two.

Our post chaplain Andy Gdau will lead us in the pledge of allegiance. So I ask those of you with hats uncover and please remain uncovered for the opening prayer which follows. Andy, do you want to come up here?

Flags to your left.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Reverend, thank you.

I invite you to join me in prayer.

Lord of heaven and Lord of earth, we come this day to let raise up to you a great servant in our midst that we might honor him and that we might bring him a a little more manifest and to walk with us to walk with the those who will come to this place to will see the beauty of it and that we'll know that that one so great had been in their midst as Herman.

Lord, we ask you that we know that that we do not labor alone. That we continue to lab work with him and with you to to all good things coming to pass, knowing that those that we love are not gone but just around the corner and that they walk with us every day. And so we we lift him up on this hour and in this day that in all this your love and your

grace may reign over this place and and that the hospitality that this bench provides may be one in which his true spirit of service may continue to live on and it may be a place of remembrance for him and for you in all good things.

We pray this in your name of of all that is holy. Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.

Cover.

Will the family please approach the bench and uh take a piece of the cloth when you are ready and you can unveil the bench. Thank you.

Does anybody want to take a picture first? Take some pictures.

Please stand and pose for your pictures.

Well, it's time to reminisce a little bit and we have a few a few speakers.

First up at bat is another person who shared in the love of baseball like Herman did, Coach Sha Travis.

Good afternoon.

When the forever American Legion Post 464 commander Lisa Borges requested that I say a few words today. At first I was hesitant because saying a few words, a few brief words about Herman Bombach and what he meant to the community and his family and friends was virtually impossible.

As everyone knows, Herman was a jack of all trades, involved in so many different things and always kept on the go.

That being said, to make this brief speech, I spent the past week reflecting on how I knew Herman and what he meant to me.

I first got to know know Herman as the father of my best friend Jason over 40 years ago. Then as my coach, friend, and mentor.

Someone I coached against. And I have a definitely a few stories about that, but I was told to make this brief, so I will try.

Someone someone I had the opportunity to coach teams in the league. He founded the Autumn Baseball League.

Then finally, six years ago, Herman asked me to manage the Forever Post 464 American Legion baseball team, the team which he founded and was the commander of the post.

I took this with great pride, this opportunity, because I knew this was something Herman took great pride in as he was involved in the American Legion baseball program for over 35 years and coached many of the youths of Far River and was a mentor to them.

This past summer, the Four River Post 464 American Legion team he founded captured the Mass State Championship.

This was the first time in 35 years a team from Far River accomplished this.

My only disappointment was Herman was no longer with us.

to share in the success of a program that he created.

I spent many days and nights prior to Herming passing over six years constantly talking baseball with him, learning from him, and trying to grow the program.

Along the way to the state championship, he was always on my mind as there were many obstacles to overcome. I believe he was our guardian angel.

He helped us overcome the obstacles.

We dedicated our state championship to Herman Bombck.

As I close and we memorialize him today, I ask you to take some time over the next few days, reflect on how you knew Herman Bombck and what he meant to you. Herman had so many different friends. He never gave up on his friends from the past. You know, he kept in contact with everyone. I would go over to his American Legion club and so many different friends, so many different people

as I not as I know how proud he would be today as we recognize him for everything he has done for our community. Thank you, Herman, and God bless.

Once again, oops. Once again, thank you all. Like we said, Herman's brought us all together. And now, uh, Mrs. Bombck,

this is not for the video. You're fine.

They pick it up.

I can open this.

Okay.

Commission for installing the bench.

This bench is truly a fitting tribute to Herman. He was a person who loved to make things happen and he could gather people together like no one else. He had a gift of talking to everyone in a way that that left you with the sense he was your best friend and wanted nothing more than to be present with you.

So, what better than a park bench that symbolizes a place to sit and chat.

You no doubt know of his involvement uh whether it be in the community, whether it be the veterans or baseball or music.

But I want to mention a couple of things about Herman not everyone is aware of.

He was very proud to be appointed a justice of the peace for the town of Swansea. Again, a position that allowed him to bring people together.

I recall being in the ER with him and he was very sick. But of course, he struck up a conversation with the paramedic that brought him in and found out that he was getting married. So he looked at me, he winked and he smiled and with that twinkle he always had in his eye. He offered his services to that young man.

He was always looking for the opportunity.

Some of you here today were married by him and you know he put his all in making your ceremony special.

And one other event, not well known, but illustrates his need to gather people together.

On his very last day in the hospital, he wanted to thank the staff before he was discharged.

He got permission to give a little concert in his room.

Who does that? Okay, he does.

He had just found out that he only had about two months left to live, but he went on with it anyway.

So he and his friend Wally Bon Levich, they had a little duo called appropriately Aches and Pains.

And with their guitars, keyboard, speakers, and microphones, they sang and played for the nurses, patients, and doctors, and they took requests.

It happened to be his very last gig.

As you can imagine, he was a favorite among the hospital staff, and I'm sure it's something that they will never forget.

[snorts] I want to thank you all for being here today because I am sure in some way he touched your life. Thank you.

Thank you, Laura. Our next speaker is our city councelor, Linda Pereira.

Thank you. Um, and thank you to the American Legions for asking me to speak here today. I've known Herman for a long time. He never forgot his time in the military and dedicated his life to serving veterans. His passion for baseball and football were unmatched. He coached and managed countless leagues, inspiring our youth and giving adults a way to stay active and connected through the game he loved. Herman's love of

music was just as strong. You could always see the joy on his face when he was playing his bass guitar. Every note reflected his spirit and enthusiasm for life. But to me, Herman was the kind of person who always had a smile on his face, no matter how busy he was. You could always count on him to lend a hand to someone who needed help.

To his to his beloved wife, Dr. Laura, his children, Tracy, Jason, and Lucas, his five grandchildren, his brother and sister, Mark, and You must be so proud of all that Herman accomplished.

and so deeply saddened by his loss, especially that his passing was on the 4th of July.

Herman may have left us far too soon, but in his years, he touched the lives of so many people. I can just imagine him now in heaven, organizing a veterans group, putting together a baseball team, and of course, playing his guitar for the Angels.

Rest in peace, my friend. Your spirit will live in every song, every game, and every heart you've inspired. God bless you all.

Thank you, Linda. Um, and Mayor uh Paul Kugan, would you like to say a few words?

Sure.

Thank you, sir.

Um, first I want to thank everybody for coming out to honor a truly special person in Fall River. Uh, I've known the Bombbacks as long as I've been in Fall River. I see Mark in the front there. Um, I can honestly I'm one of the few people here that uh when Herman was running wide right in football, he ran over me like one of those leaves you see on the ground. He

was a very, very, very great athlete.

Uh, and Mark was also and Laura, we hung around at Rugles Park together when we were 16 and she was always so much better than all the rest of us and she ended up with a great great guy because uh, she did very well herself and Herman was very, very special. You have to know that if you didn't get to know him personally, he was really something special. His attitude, the way he

carried himself, and the way he did so many positive things for the uh community. We're going to miss him. I genuinely love the guys. And I did know the Bombbacks my whole life. They were great people, and they were a lot a lot of fun. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

It has it has been a pleasure to be here with you all this afternoon to share some time to honor such a great person who has brought us all together. This bench is here to remind us of someone who gave so much to the community and inspires us to be more just like he was.

We will now begin the closing of our ceremony with releasing of doves. Thank you, Bill Dearis.

And taps provided by the Vietnam Veterans of the Fall River Honor Guard.

And end with a prayer from the Reverend.

Can the family please walk towards the doves?

Honor God present colors.

White doves are symbols of love, hope, and peace.

That's all we've always felt for Herman.

As the doves fly to the skies above, please send upon their wings your own special message for Herman. You may release.

Oh my goodness.

Gracious God, as we depart this place, we ask that your blessing go with that your love may be upon us and that the love that we have borne witness to in this life that that we've memorialized here that this memorial as it stands that this bench that will provide hospitality for the days ahead that may it do its work and let us do ours. May we live well a little more

like Herman and may we carry him with us. May that as he labors with you and with us, let us labor for the good and the true and the beautiful things that he brought into this world in all of the different ways that he did. And so too, we and he and you labor together for the for the goodness and the graciousness and the wonder of this world that we

have been given. And that we may live well with his example and with his presence with us until that day, till we should see one another. face to face. We pray this and that we may know your blessing. Amen.

Amen.