Herbert Monroe Avants, Sr. of Bay City, TX went home to his Heavenly Father on Sunday, April 10, 2016. He was born on January 28, 1924 to Callie and Maggie Stone Avants in McAllister, Oklahoma. In 1943, at the age of 19, Herbert joined the United States Marine Corp., 3rd Division, 3rd Marines. He served in WWII in Guadalcanal, Guam, Iwo Jima and China until 1946. He was a China Marine. After the war, he returned to his parent's home in Ingleside, Texas.

He moved to Bay City, Texas in 1964, where he worked as a top mechanic and supervisor at the McLendon Motor Jeep Dealership. He was a Deputy Sheriff with the Matagorda County Sheriff's Department for several years and also worked at STP before moving to Conroe, Texas in 1986, where he was employed as supervisor for a propane company until 2008. He moved back to Bay City in 2011, where he resided with his youngest daughter Peg Brietzke and her husband Gerald until his passing. He wanted to be close to family. He had lived a full life.

Herbert is preceded in death by his parents, Callie and Maggie Avants; sons, Larry Dean Avants and Michael David Avants; daughter, Carolyn Faye Lightle; son-in-law, Paul Richardson; sisters and brothers-in-law, Minnie and Addie Hubbard, Pearl and Reber Crowon, Ruth and Gene Avants, Etta and Rex Easley, Gladys and Lewis Mayfield, Francis Frye, Mitty Curry, and Willie and Charlie Blansett; brothers and sisters-in-law, Thomas and Doris Avants, Arlie and Gertrude Casey, Virgil and Lola Avants; nephews, Charlie Blansett, Little Gene and wife Doris Avants and Oscar Avants, Doris Welch and his best friends, George Daniels and Mert Moore. He is survived by Louise "Lou" Parker Jones, mother to his three children; sons, Stanley (Judy) Avants, Herbert Jr. (Ann) Avants, daughters, Sheri Richardson and Peg (Gerald) Brietzke; daughter-in-law Vicky Avants; grandchildren, Teri (Roger) Hood, Keith (Elvie) Avants, Brandon (Kristine) Richardson, Lisa (Ghulam) Asif, Scott (Michelle) Avants, Neil (Gwen) Richardson, Michelle (Robert) Morgan, Amber (Ryan) ILL, Nicole Whitaker, Gerald (Priscilla) Brietzke, Chrissy Lightle, Lisa Tamblyn, Renetta Hamilton, Robbie Lightle, Shayla Avants, Amanda Avants, Lesa Fannin, Jessica Fannin Phillips, and Butch Fannin; 42 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren; nephews and nieces, Lon (Marilyn) Avants, Frankie (Faye) Blansett, Bobby Blansett, Evelyn Blansett, Kelsey Avants, Roy Avants, Kay Avants, Vyonnie Avants and Lonetta Avants.

The family will receive visitors 5:00-7:00pm Tuesday, April 12 at the funeral home. Services will be 10:00am Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City with Pastor Steve Malone officiating. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park in Van Vleck. Pallbearers are his grandsons: Brandon Richardson, Neil Richardson, Connor Locke, Scott Avants, Roger Hood, Kyle Richardson and Keith Avants. Honorary pallbearers are Gerald Brietzke, Sgt. Ryan ILL, Logan Hood, C.J. Avants, Bobby Morgan and Butch Fannin.

He loved the VFW Post 2438 in Bay City, TX, and loved and considered all Veterans his brothers and sisters. A special thank you to VFW Post 2438 for performing military honors at the funeral and graveside services; VFW Auxiliary for preparing the meal; Matagorda County Cavalry for the funeral escort; Harbor House Hospice team who made his last days peaceful and Spiritual Advisor Steve Malone. An extra special thanks to Racheal and Marissa from Harbor House Hospice who had so much patience, made him smile and brought him joy and comfort, as they were his family too and thought very highly of them.