Vimla (David) Herbst

Vimla Herbst passed away peacefully surrounded by her family, on March 17, 2025, at St. Michael’s Palliative Care Unit in Lethbridge, Alberta, at the age of 81 years.

She is survived by her husband Duane Herbst; son JohnPaul Herbst; granddaughter Marie Herbst; grandson Macintyre Herbst; chosen granddaughter Gesiah Gonzalez; brother Orson Wells (Lallu) David; niece Jessica David; nephew Abhishek David; adopted brothers Dan Albrecht and Marcus Albrecht; adopted sisters Peggy Meeter and Carol Albrecht; adopted nephew Daylin; as well as adopted nieces Kate and Rebecca.

Vimla was the oldest of three children, born on December 7, 1943, in Basharatpur, Gorakhpur, UP, India. She was predeceased by her parents Leela and Badrie Prasad David; brother George David; and adopted parents Michael and Rita Albrecht.

She started her nursing studies at the age of 16 at the Christian Hospital in Jhokan Bagh, Jhansi, UP, India, receiving a diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery as well. Her career started in Lily Lytle Broadwell Hospital in Fatehpur, India, from where she went on to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and entered into the exchange nursing program at the Albert Einstein University Medical Centre in Pennsylvania, USA, after which she moved on to the University of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, from there she moved onto University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. She returned to New Jersey to work and train at General Hospital in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

In the mid 1970’s she met her adopted Canadian family, and later in 1975 she moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and she worked at the old Lethbridge Municipal Hospital in the ICU and Emergency Department and in 1988 after the new Chinook Regional Hospital was built, she worked on 4B medical. Vimla retired for the first time after 40 years of service at Chinook Regional Hospital. Then, with her husband she moved to Two Hills, Alberta where she worked in the Two Hills Hospital for three years, then moved back to Lethbridge where she worked part time at Walmart as a greeter, and Costco as a PWD, and went back to nursing at St. Michael’s Health Centre, working in PARP, and fully retired from there after six more years of service in October 2004. Her professional nursing career spanned over 50 years, taking care of countless lives in the process.

Vimla loved and enjoyed visiting and camping in Waterton, Alberta, tending to her garden, flowers and every bird, but magpies and starlings, that came to the house. She loved spending time with family, friends, and colleagues, and will be deeply missed by them all.

A memorial service in her memory will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Joyful House of Prayer (336 13th St. N, Lethbridge, Alberta).

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.

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