Dr. Robert Stuart Hertz, a 30-year Malibu resident, died on Oct. 30 due to complications from exposure to asbestos. He was 76.
Hertz was an oral surgeon with a private practice in Westwood for 40 years and the founding professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
He was the author of novels, short stories and scholarly articles, as well as a sculptor and inventor. The admirer of architecture was a docent at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock and Ennis Houses.
Hertz was president of the board of directors of the Adamson House and Malibu Lagoon Museum.
He owned Hertz-Paramount Ranch with parents Bill and Betty Hertz; and he designed and built movie sets that are now a part of the National Park Service.
The doctor was also an Air Force captain during the Korean War. He was a member of the Mountain Bike Unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area.
Also, a speaker for Heal the Bay, Hertz received their SuperHealer Award and the 2007 Jean Howell Award for Extraordinary Passion and Dedication.
Hertz was married to wife JoAnne, who died in January, for 48 years. He is survived by his two sons, David and Bradley; daughters-in-law, Stacy and Laura; grandchildren, Samantha, Collin, Sophie, Brian, Max and Jenna, and many friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America, 5716 Corsa Ave., Suite 203 in Westlake Village. For more information call 800.909.6376.