Herbert attended the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City and graduated from the Hun School. At Princeton he majored in electrical engineering and was a member of the crew. During World War II he served as a naval officer and subsequently took part in the occupation of Japan. After returning from the war he worked at Bell Labs in New York City and in the Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth. In 1950 he and his wife, Velva, moved back into the family home on Lower Harrison Street in Princeton. 

With his background in communications and acoustics, Herbert established Hagens Recording Studio in Princeton. The business began with music recording, record cutting, and sound and film mixing. It expanded to include video postproduction and incorporated the latest advances in digital technology. 

Herbert actively supported the Waldorf School of Princeton and produced a series of videos on Rudolf Steiner’s approach to education and the art of eurythmy. 

Herbert is survived by sons Peter R. Hagens and Herbert O. Hagens *78 and daughter-in-law Adelaide Bennett Hagens.