It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Allan Herbert, a proud triple ‘Cane, longtime University of Miami philanthropist and former member of the university’s Board of Trustees.
Herbert died on May 11 at 89 years old.
He is survived by his two sons, Steven and Kevin Herbert, as well as his grandchildren, Daphne Herbert and Begonia Herbert-Ramirez.
Herbert was born on Aug. 27, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Miami with his family at the age of five. He later attended the University of Miami, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1955 and an MBA three years later. It was there that he met the love of his life, Patti McBride.
While studying at the U, the couple worked together on the staff of The Miami Hurricane. Although he studied business, Herbert learned the importance of deadlines during his time with the paper. He would later share this lesson during his address at the fall of 2023 graduate degree commencement ceremony, where he was also awarded a Ph.D. from the business school.
“As an undergrad, I had as many journalism credits as I did in accounting,” Herbert said. “I was fortunate because as a former journalist I knew about deadlines.”
After his time at the U, Herbert served in the Air Force for just under a decade. He then worked various jobs in Miami, including running his historic family business — the art deco Richmond Hotel in Miami Beach.
Eventually Herbert moved his family to Beverly Hills, Calif. and worked for Teledyne Technologies. He started off leading Teledyne’s internal audits and was later promoted to president of one of Teledyne’s subsidiaries, Argonaut Insurance.
After leading successful careers in their respective fields, the couple made a generous $8 million donation to the university. This donation led to the Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center being named in their honor and the renovation of its fitness room. A decade later, in 2017, the couple made another donation to the business school.
His dedication to the school did not end there. Herbert served on the school’s Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2024, served on the Frost School of Music Dean’s Advisory Committee and contributed to the betterment of nine other departments at the U.
A memorial service honoring Allan’s life is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, at 3 p.m. at Levitt-Weinstein Memorial Chapels & Cemeteries, 18840 W. Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach. Friends and family are invited.