Herbert L. Chabot
<p>Herbert L. Chabot “Herb” </p><p>Herbert Leonard Chabot “Herb”, of Aspen Hill, Maryland, aged 91, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, of complications issuing from his bout with COVID, after a long life of accomplishments, love, and dedication to his wife and family. </p><p>Herb’s Hebrew name, Henoch Leib (Herbert Leonard), has several meanings (which Herb himself would appreciate), but perhaps the meaning most appropriate, to Herb, is dedicated heart. Herb was a person of courage, strength, and dedication to those he loved, and to his work, whether it was deciding cases as a Judge, educating his law clerks, refining Court procedures, participating in a Kallah, or organizing the family’s medicines. </p><p>Herb was born in The Bronx, on July 17, 1931, to the late Esther (Mogilinksy) and Meyer Chabot. As a young child, Herb and his parents lived near the banks of the Hudson River, in Athens, New York, before his parents returned to the Bronx for his elementary and high school years. Suffering from severe asthma as a child, Herb spent several summers at camps in New Hampshire, even becoming a camp counselor at one of them. </p><p>Herb attended Stuyvesant High School and graduated in 1948. In junior high, Herb joined the Junior Astronomy Club, where he and his friends and cousins formed close, life-long friendships and relationships, aided when the majority of their group moved to the Washington D.C. suburbs of Maryland, from the New York City boroughs. </p><p>Herb married his teenage sweetheart and fellow junior astronomy club member, Aleen Kerwin Chabot, at the tender age of 19. Herb attended the City College of New York and graduated with a B.A., cum laude, in 1952. His continued education at Columbia Law School, Columbia University, was interrupted when Herb was drafted into the U.S. Army, for a 2 year stint at the very end of the Korean War. After his basic training, Herb and Aleen lived in Huntsville, Alabama, where Herb worked on the base. Upon their return to New York, Herb got his law degree, an LL.B., from Columbia University in 1957. </p><p>Herb next worked for the American Jewish Congress (1957 to 1961), and then took a job as an attorney-advisor (in today’s parlance, law clerk) for U.S. Tax Court Judge Russell E. Train (1961 to 1965), and made the move with his family from New York to Silver Spring, Maryland. He received an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University in 1964, and also served in the U.S. Army Reserves, in a civil affairs unit, for 8 years. </p><p>With his new job as a congressional staffer at the Joint Committee on Taxation, Herb and his family moved to Aspen Hill, Maryland. He spent the next 13 years as a Joint Tax Committee staffer, becoming the Deputy Chief of Staff under his great friend Larry Woodworth. His job meant that he was involved in the creation of legislation, including the Excise Tax Reduction Act of 1965, the Tax Reform Act of 1969, the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund in 1978, and ERISA. Herb also ran the annual Congressional blood drive, and began his lifelong donation of blood, giving more than 10 gallons. </p><p>While at the Joint Tax Committee, Herb was an elected delegate to the Maryland Constitutional Convention, 1967–68. Though the new constitution recommended by the Convention was not adopted by the voters, many of the reforms Herb championed at the Convention were later adopted by the voters as amendments to Maryland’s Constitution. </p><p>On April 3, 1978, Herb was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the United States Tax Court for a 15 year term, and became Judge Chabot. Herb chaired the Tax Court’s rules committee, was a member of its legislative committee, dealt with the Court’s library, and helped with the continuing education of the Court’s law clerks. Herb also was an adjunct professor at the National Law Center of George Washington University from 1974–83. </p><p>Herb briefly served as Senior Judge at the Tax Court (on recall performing judicial duties), until his reappointment by President Clinton, for a second 15 year term, was confirmed on October 20, 1993, for a term ending October 19, 2008. Due to the Court’s age restrictions, Herb “retired” on June 30, 2001, but was recalled the next day, on July 1, 2001, as Senior Judge. He served as a Senior Judge, on recall, until he fully retired from the court on January 1, 2016. </p><p>Herb’s Tax Court law clerks became their own group of distinguished alumni, with one of his earliest Clerks becoming a Special Trial Judge to the Tax Court. His law clerks recall his dedication as a Judge, and his role as an outstanding teacher, with great care and attention to details, precision and accuracy. Herb had an extraordinary ability, when asked a question, to consider the level of the person asking the question, and then to match his answer to that level. He also was more than willing to fully explain his answers, so frequent questioners to Herb learned quickly to use care and more precision with their questions – especially when they needed a brief answer! </p><p>Herb joined Temple Emanuel, where he was an active member, before he and his family moved to Temple Shalom. Herb was an involved member of Temple Shalom in the 1990s, where he participated in the planning of a refresh of the synagogue’s sanctuary. As a current member of Bethesda Jewish Congregation, Herb enjoyed the friendship of Rabbi Emeritus Sunny Schnitzer. </p><p>Herb loved Gilbert and Sullivan music (he sang them to his kids when they were babies), liked to travel (especially to historic sights such as Williamsburg), loved history, and was a great punster. When told by a non-pun-appreciating child of his: “no puns allowed”, Herb’s answer was “okay, I’ll say them quietly”. He was a great fan of local sports, especially the Washington Football Team (now the Commanders), and the Washington Senators (now the Nationals) baseball team. </p><p>As a great storyteller, Herb delighted in telling (often with great glee) tales of his vast career, or telling the real version of why something happened, from enacted legislation to judicial appointments. </p><p>Herb also listened to WTOP and could be counted to expound not only on the issues of the day, but their background and history, and how they should be resolved. Until his eyesight failed, he was a great reader, and especially enjoyed the mysteries of Brother Cadfile. He was a voracious reader of the Evening Star, and with its demise reluctantly moved over to the Washington Post. Herb loved bow ties and often chose his bow tie of the day with great care. </p><p>He was the patriarch of his family, and lent his guidance, wisdom and knowledge willingly, and would be Dad to the rescue, when needed. He also had extraordinary spatial vision and understanding, and could be counted on to pack the family car’s trunk just so precisely. </p><p>While the COVID pandemic years were hard on Herb, he rose to the occasion and mastered the use of the weekly family Zoom nights, commanding great attention as he presided over his list for the week. He looked forward to the Zoom sessions and always wanted them to be held. When you called Herb, during his last years, you knew he was okay, when he replied to your question of “how are you?”, with one word: “Managing”. </p><p>Herb lived a long and full life, and a full two years after his sweet spot, for him, that being 89 years old, since it was a prime number. He refused to have more birthday parties after his 89th one, but accepted two un-birthday parties. </p><p>Herb is survived by his teenage sweetheart and wife of 71 years, Aleen Chabot; eldest son Elliot (daughter-in-law Chris Swan), twin sons Donald (daughter-in-law Nicki Sideris) and Lewis Chabot, daughter Nancy Jo Chabot (son-in-law Parker Potter); and grandchildren, twins Jules and Niko Chabot, and Sophie Potter. They, and all who knew him and enjoyed his wisdom and care, miss him dearly. </p><p>A memorial service (also on Zoom) will be held on Tuesday, October 18, at 10 am, at the Judean Memorial Gardens, followed by the graveside service. The family will sit Shiva on Zoom for three evenings (Tuesday, October 18, Wednesday, October 19, and Thursday, October 20), where prayers will be held and condolences and memories accepted. </p><p>Donations may be made to the Family and Nursing Care Foundation, and to the Children’s National Hospital Foundation. For those so who are able, blood donations in Herb’s memory are encouraged to the American Red Cross. </p><p>Contact RememberingHerbC@gmail.com for more information to attend the Zoom Memorial service, and/or the Zoom Shiva evenings, and to contact the Shiva food coordinator. </p>Obituary
Herbert L. Chabot “Herb”
Herbert Leonard Chabot “Herb”, of Aspen Hill, Maryland, aged 91, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, of complications issuing from his bout with COVID, after a long life of accomplishments, love, and dedication to his wife and family.
Herb’s Hebrew name, Henoch Leib (Herbert Leonard), has several meanings (which Herb himself would appreciate), but perhaps the meaning most appropriate, to Herb, is dedicated heart. Herb was a person of courage, strength, and dedication to those he loved, and to his work, whether it was deciding cases as a Judge, educating his law clerks, refining Court procedures, participating in a Kallah, or organizing the family’s medicines.
Herb was born in The Bronx, on July 17, 1931, to the late Esther (Mogilinksy) and Meyer Chabot. As a young child, Herb and his parents lived near the banks of the Hudson River, in Athens, New York, before his parents returned to the Bronx for his elementary and high school years. Suffering from severe asthma as a child, Herb spent several summers at camps in New Hampshire, even becoming a camp counselor at one of them.
Herb attended Stuyvesant High School and graduated in 1948. In junior high, Herb joined the Junior Astronomy Club, where he and his friends and cousins formed close, life-long friendships and relationships, aided when the majority of their group moved to the Washington D.C. suburbs of Maryland, from the New York City boroughs.
Herb married his teenage sweetheart and fellow junior astronomy club member, Aleen Kerwin Chabot, at the tender age of 19. Herb attended the City College of New York and graduated with a B.A., cum laude, in 1952. His continued education at Columbia Law School, Columbia University, was interrupted when Herb was drafted into the U.S. Army, for a 2 year stint at the very end of the Korean War. After his basic training, Herb and Aleen lived in Huntsville, Alabama, where Herb worked on the base. Upon their return to New York, Herb got his law degree, an LL.B., from Columbia University in 1957.
Herb next worked for the American Jewish Congress (1957 to 1961), and then took a job as an attorney-advisor (in today’s parlance, law clerk) for U.S. Tax Court Judge Russell E. Train (1961 to 1965), and made the move with his family from New York to Silver Spring, Maryland. He received an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University in 1964, and also served in the U.S. Army Reserves, in a civil affairs unit, for 8 years.
With his new job as a congressional staffer at the Joint Committee on Taxation, Herb and his family moved to Aspen Hill, Maryland. He spent the next 13 years as a Joint Tax Committee staffer, becoming the Deputy Chief of Staff under his great friend Larry Woodworth. His job meant that he was involved in the creation of legislation, including the Excise Tax Reduction Act of 1965, the Tax Reform Act of 1969, the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund in 1978, and ERISA. Herb also ran the annual Congressional blood drive, and began his lifelong donation of blood, giving more than 10 gallons.
While at the Joint Tax Committee, Herb was an elected delegate to the Maryland Constitutional Convention, 1967–68. Though the new constitution recommended by the Convention was not adopted by the voters, many of the reforms Herb championed at the Convention were later adopted by the voters as amendments to Maryland’s Constitution.
On April 3, 1978, Herb was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the United States Tax Court for a 15 year term, and became Judge Chabot. Herb chaired the Tax Court’s rules committee, was a member of its legislative committee, dealt with the Court’s library, and helped with the continuing education of the Court’s law clerks. Herb also was an adjunct professor at the National Law Center of George Washington University from 1974–83.
Herb briefly served as Senior Judge at the Tax Court (on recall performing judicial duties), until his reappointment by President Clinton, for a second 15 year term, was confirmed on October 20, 1993, for a term ending October 19, 2008. Due to the Court’s age restrictions, Herb “retired” on June 30, 2001, but was recalled the next day, on July 1, 2001, as Senior Judge. He served as a Senior Judge, on recall, until he fully retired from the court on January 1, 2016.
Herb’s Tax Court law clerks became their own group of distinguished alumni, with one of his earliest Clerks becoming a Special Trial Judge to the Tax Court. His law clerks recall his dedication as a Judge, and his role as an outstanding teacher, with great care and attention to details, precision and accuracy. Herb had an extraordinary ability, when asked a question, to consider the level of the person asking the question, and then to match his answer to that level. He also was more than willing to fully explain his answers, so frequent questioners to Herb learned quickly to use care and more precision with their questions – especially when they needed a brief answer!
Herb joined Temple Emanuel, where he was an active member, before he and his family moved to Temple Shalom. Herb was an involved member of Temple Shalom in the 1990s, where he participated in the planning of a refresh of the synagogue’s sanctuary. As a current member of Bethesda Jewish Congregation, Herb enjoyed the friendship of Rabbi Emeritus Sunny Schnitzer.
Herb loved Gilbert and Sullivan music (he sang them to his kids when they were babies), liked to travel (especially to historic sights such as Williamsburg), loved history, and was a great punster. When told by a non-pun-appreciating child of his: “no puns allowed”, Herb’s answer was “okay, I’ll say them quietly”. He was a great fan of local sports, especially the Washington Football Team (now the Commanders), and the Washington Senators (now the Nationals) baseball team.
As a great storyteller, Herb delighted in telling (often with great glee) tales of his vast career, or telling the real version of why something happened, from enacted legislation to judicial appointments.
Herb also listened to WTOP and could be counted to expound not only on the issues of the day, but their background and history, and how they should be resolved. Until his eyesight failed, he was a great reader, and especially enjoyed the mysteries of Brother Cadfile. He was a voracious reader of the Evening Star, and with its demise reluctantly moved over to the Washington Post. Herb loved bow ties and often chose his bow tie of the day with great care.
He was the patriarch of his family, and lent his guidance, wisdom and knowledge willingly, and would be Dad to the rescue, when needed. He also had extraordinary spatial vision and understanding, and could be counted on to pack the family car’s trunk just so precisely.
While the COVID pandemic years were hard on Herb, he rose to the occasion and mastered the use of the weekly family Zoom nights, commanding great attention as he presided over his list for the week. He looked forward to the Zoom sessions and always wanted them to be held. When you called Herb, during his last years, you knew he was okay, when he replied to your question of “how are you?”, with one word: “Managing”.
Herb lived a long and full life, and a full two years after his sweet spot, for him, that being 89 years old, since it was a prime number. He refused to have more birthday parties after his 89th one, but accepted two un-birthday parties.
Herb is survived by his teenage sweetheart and wife of 71 years, Aleen Chabot; eldest son Elliot (daughter-in-law Chris Swan), twin sons Donald (daughter-in-law Nicki Sideris) and Lewis Chabot, daughter Nancy Jo Chabot (son-in-law Parker Potter); and grandchildren, twins Jules and Niko Chabot, and Sophie Potter. They, and all who knew him and enjoyed his wisdom and care, miss him dearly.
A memorial service (also on Zoom) will be held on Tuesday, October 18, at 10 am, at the Judean Memorial Gardens, followed by the graveside service. The family will sit Shiva on Zoom for three evenings (Tuesday, October 18, Wednesday, October 19, and Thursday, October 20), where prayers will be held and condolences and memories accepted.
Donations may be made to the Family and Nursing Care Foundation, and to the Children’s National Hospital Foundation. For those so who are able, blood donations in Herb’s memory are encouraged to the American Red Cross.
Contact RememberingHerbC@gmail.com for more information to attend the Zoom Memorial service, and/or the Zoom Shiva evenings, and to contact the Shiva food coordinator.