Former Oberlin Municipal judge Martin Heberling dies at age 90

AVON — Former Judge Martin Heberling, who presided over Oberlin Municipal Court from 1975 to 2001, died Tuesday at age 90. A Navy veteran who served during the Korean War, he was a respected attorney with a private law office in Amherst, and he served as the city's law director before taking the bench. His grandson, Amherst Councilman Martin Heberling III, said his marriage and family always were the first priority. He recalled how "Grandpa" took his grandchildren for ice cream, on hikes and taught them to sled and ride snowmobiles. The family didn't view the elder Heberling as "your honor," but as a kind soul, his grandson said. "We knew Grandpa as Grandpa. He knew when to take off that robe," the younger Heberling said. "And I'll tell you what, if that isn't a lesson in life, I don't know what it is." Wherever he went, Heberling III found the judge's reputation preceded him. In high school, he was approached once or twice by classmates who'd made bad choices and asked Heberling III to help convince his grandfather "to get them off the hook," he said. When he turned 18 and applied for his first auto loan, the banker immediately recognized his surname and revealed the judge enjoyed bank staff cookies every Christmas, he said. Later in life, Heberling III learned that for years his grandfather had routinely taken a friend's older brother, who had medical issues, out to breakfast and lunch just to be kind. In the days immediately after the former judge's death, his grandson said he was bombarded with calls and messages from people who wanted to share their memories. Among them was Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley, a longtime attorney who "was very affectionate" with his recollections of the judge. Lorain County Democratic Party Chair Anthony Giardini, also a lawyer, reached out as well. "That means the world to me, because a lot of them were a little younger. … I would like to think that when it came to my grandfather, he was like a guide," Heberling III said. In June 2021, State Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, presented Judge Heberling and his wife of 70 years, Patricia, with a proclamation from the Ohio General Assembly. It was presented at an Amherst City Council meeting, with the younger Heberling leading a long round of applause for the couple. Patricia died last December at age 90. Judge Heberling resided at St. Mary of the Woods in Avon until his passing. A funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center in Amherst, with the Rev. Timothy O'Connor of St. Joseph Catholic Church officiating. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery. Heberling III said his grandfather will be remembered as an inspiration to a generation. "He did everything with an optimistic mindset. He didn't have a path to follow. He blazed his own trail for others to follow," he said. Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.