Dane Scott (The Great Dane) Herr, 56, of Clifton Forge, passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2009 in the comfort of his home with family members by his side.

He was born in San Francisco, Calif., November 4, 1952, and spent his early years in Edinboro, Pa., Charlottesville, Va., Eau Claire, Wis., Rockbridge County, Va., and then spent 27 years in the Northern Virginia area before relocating to Clifton Forge nine years ago.

He was the oldest of three children of William Stewart "Bill" and the late Roberta Cecil Scott "Bobbi" Herr formerly of "The Log House" in Brownsburg, Va.

Dane worked for Sharp Electronics Corporation in the Springfield, Va. area and was awarded the distinguished service award for being one of the very few Sharp employees nationwide to achieve 35+ years of service. Additionally, he was awarded the SEC Outstanding Member Award that provided him the opportunity to visit Sharp's world headquarters in Osaka, Japan. He started as a Field Service Technician repairing calculators and quickly proved to be a leader, rising through the ranks to his most notable position of Inventory Control Supervisor/Branch Warehouse Manager. Dane was respected among his peers and supervisors whom he inspired through his dedication and professionalism. An icon at Sharp, his consistency, honesty and dedication were among his many attributes and he will be missed by all who came in contact with him.

Dane was a 1970 Rockbridge High School graduate and attended Virginia Tech from 1970-1971 before graduating Cum Laude from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, Clifton Forge, Va. in 1973 with a degree in Electronics Technology.

He was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Dane was an avid Washington Capitals Ice Hockey and Washington Redskins fan but perhaps more conspicuously known as a devoted Elvis fan as documented by his annual Memphis Graceland August vigil trek (total of 10 visits!) He was a gold level ballroom dance competitor where he met his dance, and 23 year long marriage partner, Ann Marie Seymour Herr. He was also an amateur ice hockey player and golfer, guitarist, prolific science fiction reader and was most relaxed with a TV remote or computer mouse in one hand and a Mountain Dew in the other!

Dane's most favorite family times were his annual summer vacations spent at Fripp Island, S.C. for the last 24 years and weekly summer weekend outings to Hulls Drive-In in Lexington, Va. His family and friends will fondly remember him for the loving, quiet, gentle mannered, dependable, unassuming and good natured gentleman that one could ever hope to meet.

In addition to his wife and father, surviving are his four children, Rhianna Lis, Logan Seymour, Morgan Stewart and Savanna Marie Herr, of Clifton Forge, Va.; two sisters, April Weaver, of Elliston, Va., Circe Lindsey of Lexington, Va.; 10 brothers-in-law and five sisters-in-law, Wayne Weaver, of Elliston, Va., Frank and Lori Zuersher Seymour, of Macon, Ga., Fred and Cindy Poehnert Seymour, of Denver, Colo., Kurt, Eric, Keith and Alex Seymour, Cliff and Kim Seymour Daley, Eric and Christy Seymour Smith, Tom Kantor, and Debra Welch Seymour all of Columbia, S.C.; six nephews and 11 nieces; one grandnephew and two grandnieces; and two best friends of 40+ years, Sam Newcomer, of Rockbridge Baths, Va. and Wilson McClung, formerly of the Brownsburg area and now residing in Midland, Texas.

A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 7, 2009, at the Clifton Forge Presbyterian Church located at the corner of Jefferson and Church Streets in Clifton Forge, Va. with the Reverend Louis Benoit officiating. A reception will follow the memorial service at the church.

Memorials may be made to Mountain Regional Hospice Volunteers, PO Box 637, Clifton Forge, Va. 24422. Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences to the family online, please visit www.nicelyfuneralhome.com.