Thursday, October 1, 2026
With great sorrow, the family of Bob and Hertha Ledford, lifelong educators and devoted partners for 67 years, announces their passings. Bob passed away on April 26, 2024, and Hertha Ledford recently followed on August 20, 2026. Together, they leave behind a legacy of joy, family, and community service in the Edmonds School District.
Bob was born in the small southwest Washington town of Raymond in 1934. He grew up the son of Minnie, a homemaker, and Keifer, who worked as a logger, bootlegger, oyster shucker, and elementary school custodian. Bob was an excellent student and a talented athlete, playing basketball and baseball, and serving as the quarterback of the football team. After graduating from Raymond High School, Bob headed to Grays Harbor Community College to pursue a career in education.
Hertha was born in Romania in 1935, the eldest of five children born to Reinhard and Martha Aust. For the next 15 years, before and during World War II, the family was constantly on the move throughout Eastern Europe and Germany. Led mostly by Martha, they stayed in relocation camps, barns, fields, and the homes of strangers.
It was a harrowing era, and it is a borderline miracle the entire family survived safely. In 1950, the Austs left Germany for the United States in search of a better life, landing in Raymond, Washington, where other family members had already settled. Though Hertha did not know a word of English upon arrival, she assimilated quickly, graduated from Valley High School, and enrolled at Grays Harbor Community College to begin her journey toward becoming a teacher.
One day, on the hour-long bus ride from Raymond to Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen, Bob and Hertha met—and the rest is history.
Quickly realizing they were meant for each other, Bob and Hertha became a couple and moved to Bellingham to finish their studies at Western Washington University. Both graduated from the teachers' college at Western and were subsequently hired by the Edmonds School District.
They married in 1957 and later welcomed their children, Sally and Bobby. Early in his career, Bob became the principal at Maple Park Elementary. Hertha was a longtime teacher, serving at Maple Park and Seaview before spending the bulk of her career at Beverly Elementary.
In 1968, Bob and Hertha packed up the family and moved to New York City to attend Teachers College, Columbia University, where Bob earned his doctorate and Hertha earned her master of education. During their time in the city, the family explored the boroughs and the Atlantic coast on memorable station wagon road trips. Returning to Edmonds in 1971, Hertha resumed teaching, and Bob advanced within the district administration, ultimately serving for many years as assistant superintendent. They continued the tradition of taking family vacations, spending many summers enjoying the beaches of Hawaii and making lifelong memories together.
The Ledfords became respected fixtures of the Edmonds School District community, a status perhaps best highlighted by an uncomfortable local television interview during a teachers' strike, where Bob represented management and Hertha stood on the picket line! They not only enjoyed the profound impact they made on countless students’ lives, but also deeply cherished the relationships they developed with colleagues, many of whom became close, lifelong friends.
In retirement, Bob and Hertha were tireless travelers. They spent winter months at their condo in Arizona, enjoying happy hours with neighbors, and embarking on numerous cruises around the world. Avid boaters, they frequently took their boat, Skoolz Out, around Puget Sound and up into Canada, crabbing and fishing along the way. Closer to home, they walked through Edmonds nearly every day at a brisk pace, a tradition they kept up until they could no longer safely do so.
Bob and Hertha were wonderful parents and devoted grandparents. They rarely missed a grandchild's sporting event, hosted cherished sleepovers, and were always thrilled to welcome both their grandkids and their grand-dogs for even a quick visit. Their loss will be deeply felt by the entire family and many throughout the Edmonds community.
The Ledfords are survived by their daughter, Sally Ratzke (Dave, Andrew, Nick, Hannah, Hayley, Katie, Alex, Del, Ruby, and Penelope); and their son, Bob Ledford (Julie, Lee, and Jack).
A joint memorial for Bob and Hertha will be held Sunday, November 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Edmonds Waterfront Center. Please RSVP to rememberingbobandhertha@gmail.com to let us know if you plan on attending.
