Herman Bernard "Hy" Shubert's Obituary
Herman Bernard "Hy" Shubert, retired educator and beloved father and grandfather, passed away Sunday, June 1st after a long battle with cancer. He was 88 years old.
Hy Shubert was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1936 and lived in Coney Island, enjoying a typical life of a young Jewish kid in mid-century New York. Between baseball games, beach visits, high school sports, and being with his large extended family, Hy graduated from the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School before attending Brooklyn College. A math and statistics whiz, he became an expert electrical draftsman. After serving in the Air Force for two years in Texas, he moved to Pittsburgh to marry, ultimately ending up in Raleigh and then Durham, NC. While finishing college at North Carolina State University (and eventually a master's degree in education from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) he changed his career focus to psychology. He immediately secured a position at the North Carolina Central Prison, working with a team to develop innovative approaches to inmate mental health and rehabilitation. Hy eventually took a position with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, focusing on school psychology and traveling the state to help schools in the establishment of their programs.
In 1979 Hy accepted the job as the lead School Psychologist for the Wayne County (NC) Public Schools. For 18 years he served with distinction, helping thousands of children via testing and counseling to diagnose and treat learning disabilities and other mental health issues and putting them on a path forward towards success and achievement. An entire generation of students and their parents in Wayne County knew they could count on Mr. Shubert for help or an assist as needed to push forward their academic careers as well as their personal lives. Before the phrase was popularized, he firmly believed in no child left behind. In his free time he could be found happily volleying on the tennis courts of his local park or at some body of water with a fishing rod in hand, among many other pursuits.
Hy retired in 1997 and was able to devote himself to his other passions in life--his children, grandchildren, and any fish that had somehow managed to avoid being caught during the first 60 years of his life. Exploring the waterways and coastal areas of North Carolina as well as those in North Florida, Hy joyfully baited a hook or knotted a lure as often as possible, expertly searching for a variety of fresh and saltwater denizens. To no one's surprise, he was regularly successful, and would happily clean, cook, and consume all he brought up from the water. He also enjoyed visiting as many eastern North Carolina barbecue establishments as he could find, regularly bringing his family with him to enjoy the delicious wares.
In 2010 he moved to Gainesville where he was able to spend significantly more time with his family, enjoying regular meals and gatherings. He was never without a strong opinion on politics, sports (especially his beloved NCSU Wolfpack), culture, history, law, music, math, science, art, or any other topic that might come up in conversation. From electrical engineering to car repair to Constitutional history, Hy was a gifted raconteur with a legendary sense of humor (and accompanying laugh). He was able to hold the room on virtually any subject and you rarely left without knowing something new, even if perhaps you did not always agree with every stance, or your jaw feeling sore from smiling and laughing for hours.
Hy is survived by his children Nina and Jeff (Michelle) of Gainesville and Adam (Dena) of Herndon, Virginia, and his grandchildren Emily Vega, Leo Libby and Noah Shubert. He was a proud member of the Jewish faith and believed strongly in the tenets and traditions of his religion, as it guided much of his life. He is buried in the B'nai Israel Cemetery in Gainesville and a headstone unveiling will take place in 2026.
Condolences or acknowledgements may be sent to P.O. Box 358474, Gainesville, FL 32635-8474 or [email protected].
What’s your fondest memory of Herman?
What’s a lesson you learned from Herman?
Share a story where Herman's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Herman you’ll never forget.
How did Herman make you smile?
