The Budd Company Bankruptcy Proceedings

Although Budd Company Blogs has been inactive for the last few years, the bankruptcy proceedings of The Budd Company and its effect on retiree benefits is good reason to activate this blog. If you have an opinion or question regarding the ongoing proceedings and pending settlement, please feel free to send it to: go2paulf@gmail.com It will be posted on this blog for visitors to review and comment.

Arthur Hunter, Chief Electrical Engineer

Hello~

I would like to post the following on the Budd Company Blog Website for all my Father's old Budd Co. Friends & co-workers.

In Memory of ~~~
Arthur Hunter Budd Company Chief Electrical Engineer. 1918---2009

My father Arthur Hunter former Chief Electrical Engineer for all of Budd Co's, many worldwide plants sadly passed-away on May 7. 2009 .
Arthur's office was based in Budd's Hunting Park Philadelphia Pa. Plant's Engineering Office.
My father Arthur worked for Budd for almost 50 years.
Before being hired by Mr. Budd's son Arthur was the Chief Electrical Engineer for The Philadelphia Navy Yard & Cramp Ship Yard from just before his Graduation from Drexel University (BS EE) & University Of Pennsylvania (MS EE) as our nation was just beginning to gear up for WW II .
His first job with our Navy was getting old four stack WW I Destroyers & cruisers out of the Navy mothball fleet and getting the up-and-running for Brittan under President Roosevelt's Lend-Lease Program.
Dad knew very well that the war was coming fast.
He designed complete electrical & electronic systems for Naval Warships & Submarines ; and had a large team of 1500 engineers & electricians working under him.
Immediately after Pearl Harbor Dad tried to enlist as a Naval aviator fighter pilot~~~
He was then told that he was needed much more as a Naval Warship systems designer and could not enlist into the US Navy.
After WW II ended he was brought to the Budd Co. by Mr. Budd's son to head up the Budd Co's then just new Electrical Engineering Design Department.
My father loved working for the Budd Co. and had made many life-long friends working there over his many decades of employment.
He retired shortly after the German's at Thyssen bought the Budd Co. ; and moved all major engineering operations to the Detroit Plant & Engineering offices area.
He did not wish to re-locate out of the Philadelphia area so near his impending retirement.
Arthur is known for many innovations at Budd Co. ,& in the US automotive industry. His many innovations include plant electrical power & substation systems, electrical & electronic multi welder controls & systems, lighting systems, Machine & punch press Safety control systems, Early computer machine & welding control systems, early robotic steel & stamping handlers.
He designed complete press lines from the steel de-coilers to the end ol line scrap steel bailers & stamping handlers.
He also designed many of the very first Monster automatic multi-welders in the automotive parts industry..
Since Arthur retired from Budd he has stayed very active well into his early 90s using his fishing & 80 MPH speedboats at his vacation home in Ocean City NJ almost every day until only six weeks before his passing from stomach & esophagus Cancer at age 91 1/2 .
His wife of 50 years had passed-away 15 years earlier.
He was also very active in the Antique Automobile restoration hobby ; and was working on the complete restoration of our 1926 Springfield Mass. USA built Rolls~Royce Silver Ghost just shortly before his passing..
This was his new pet project.
Over the decades~~~
I have never heard anyone who ever worked at Budd Co. with my Father ever say anything bad about my father.
They always said he was a very kind & very sharp & smart person who had compassion for his fellow Budd Co workers.
He was also my Best friend & lifetime buddy.
We did everything together~
Fishing, sailing, boating, and restoring Antique & Classic Cars.
We lived together since my mother's passing.
I sure miss my father Arthur today.
I am sure others who once worked beside him at Budd Co. will miss him too.
I would love to hear from anyone who knew, & worked with, my father Arthur Hunter at Budd Co.
I would surely appreciate hearing from you all !
You may call or email me at any time to talk about my Father & Budd Co.
I have followed in my father's footsteps and am today a Professional Mechanical Engineer.
I too~~~graduated from Drexel University.
Thank You~
Brad Hunter
1 215 947 4676
silverghost1926@msn.com

Even More on Bill Lemberger

Paul,

I was reading Bill's blogs and his most recent illness that ended in loss of his life in January of 2011. This is late notice, but I wanted to send my condolences. What an amazing man, an amazing career and such a tragic loss. While I did not know this gentleman, I read his notes and felt compelled to comment on this man's legacy and career. Life is truly short.

We may be just a small resistance welding business, but we truly value those in the industry whose hard work and commitment makes it what it is today and we celebrate that.

Thanks for letting me post this notice...
Cheryl Benson
Vice President
of a Manufacturing Company

More on Bill Lemberger

Thank you for the information Paul. I didn't know Bill personally but had many occasions to talk with him during my brief period at the corporate offices when he was on site. Evidently that was during the time when he was fighting his now life ending illness.

There was never any indication that he was ill since he was always upbeat and friendly and his dedication to ThyssenKrupp Budd was clearly evident in our conversations.

My heartfelt condolences and sadness go out to his family and friends. May God welcome you home Bill, you were always one of the good guys.......

Don Ruedisueli

Bill Lemberger Loses 12-Year Battle with Cancer

1/8/2011
William A. Lemberger

(prepared by Jim Plaunt)

ORTONVILLE, Mich. - William A. Lemberger, 55, of Ortonville, formerly of Findlay and Van Wert, Ohio, died at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, after nearly a twelve-year fight against Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Leukemia. Bill received a bone marrow transplant in April 2010 and suffered many setbacks and complications leading to his death.

Bill was born in Camden, N.J., on July 23, 1955, to Adolph {Otto} and Elizabeth {Bette} Lemberger who survive in Crystal River, Fla. Bill will be deeply missed but is greatly admired by his life partner turned caregiver Mike Meyer; two sons, Haedon Meyer of Columbus, Ohio, and Brandon {Mary} Meyer of Delphos, Ohio, and two granddaughters, Evelyn and Audrey Meyer of Delphos; two brothers, Robert "Bob" {Liz} Lemberger and David {Paula Storck} Lemberger of Marlton, N.J.; two brothers-in-law, Steve Meyer of Stockport, Ohio, and Gord {Jackie} Meyer of Vaughnsville, Ohio; mother-in-law, Betty Dohse of Findlay, Ohio; and stepmother-in-law, Barb Meyer of Lima, Ohio; two stepbrothers-in-law, Dan and Terry Dohse; three sisters-in-law, Sheri {Rick} Latimer, Beth {Randy} Swob and Kathy Dohse; several nieces and nephews, Kelly Lemberger, Andy Meyer, Kari {Derek} Stober, Christa {Brian} Meader, Heather and Ryan Swob and Derick and Devon Latimer; an aunt, Helen Lemberger; two cousins, Kathy {Craig} Taggart and Jan {Leo} Alston, and a former wife turned friend, Joyce Hageman.

Bill was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Adolph J. Lemberger and Catherine E. Lemberger; maternal grandparents, Theodore Stubbs and Anna Stubbs; father-in-law, Leon Meyer; stepfather-in-law, Karl "Mac" Dohse, and an infant nephew, Christopher Lemberger. What a reunion it must have been!!

Bill graduated from Cinnaminson H.S. in Cinnaminson, N.J., in 1973 and from Alderson Broaddus College in Phillippi, W.Va., in 1977. He was most recently employed with Continental Structural Plastics of Roy, Mich., and had retired from The Budd Co. While working for "Uncle Budd" he started in international sales and moved into the plastics division where he was a chemist at the Van Wert, Ohio, plant before moving into environmental issues at the North Baltimore and Carey, Ohio plants. He then moved into the purchasing manager position in Madison Heights, Mich., where CSP acquired "Budd" and he continued in that position with CSP.

It is with great pride that I was able, with the help of his family, to fulfill Bill's wish and donate his body to the University of Michigan for research and teaching. His goal was to retire and teach college. I guess he is doing that in another way, now.

A memorial will be held at a later date. If you would like to make a memorial donation please do so at one of the following:

Univ. of Mich. Adult BMT Program

UMHS

5303 Cancer Center

1500 E. Medical Center Dr.

Ann Arbor, MI. 48109

or this one is for helping those that are struggling to pay for lodging and medications and emergency care related to BMT. We saw many people from all over come here for treatment and we were lucky to live a little over an hour away so we didn't need their services.

BMT Langeveld Fund

UMHS/Cancer Center

Patient and Family services/medinn 5843

1500 E Medical Center Dr.

Ann Arbor, MI. 48109

or to a pet rescue of your choice as Bill dearly loved his hairy boxer kids, Buster, Dixie and Eli. Bill will be greatly missed by all his good friends and colleagues, especially Jim Plaunt who spent many hours visiting with Bill in the hospital.

New Book Features Budd Detroit Plant

Punching Out is a newly release book which features the Budd Detroit Plant as a symbol of American industry which has closed it doors.

Author Paul Clemens worked more than three years on this book and interviewed countless Budd employees, suppliers and customers.

His intention was always to be positive about Budd and ThyssenKrupp.

Here is the link. Copy and paste it into your URL. It will bring back memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOgDw_xKHq4

Remembering Red Lion's Russ Kauffeld

Russ Kauffeld, who worked at the Budd Company's Red Lion Plant from 1964 until the gates closed in 1987, passed away August 4. According to his daughter, Marie Ployd, Russ' love for trains and people showed in his work for all the years that he was there. "He always talked about his years at the Budd Company." His co-workers remember Russ most as the man who had a great work ethic and who never had a bad word to say about anyone. Even to the end Marie says her dad continued his love for trains and always dreamed about taking a cross country tour on a train.

Upon Russ' retirement at the age of 65 he retired to Delaware. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, three sons, a daughter, 11 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren who were the love of his life.

Marie notes that it was a sad day for her father when the gates closed at the Red Lion Plant but he followed the development of the golf course closely. One thing he always spoke about was the deer that were always inside the gates of The Budd company.

Marie Kauffeld Ployd can be contacted at (ploydm@yahoo.com).

Don Roble - a True Gentleman -- Passes Away

Editor's Note: It is hard to post this without mentioning what a fine man Don Roble was. I knew him personally for more than 25 years. In the pressure-packed business of automotive sales, Don always kept his cool and treated everyone with dignity and respect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ROBLE DONALD BENJAMIN JR. Age 62 of Farmington Hills. Don's love for his wife, daughters, grandchildren, extended family, friends, and community was insurmountable.

As a young man all Don ever wanted was to have a family—God gave him five amazing daughters. Don's service in the Farmington Hills community included his involvement in Big Brother, Birmingham-Bloomfield Jaycees, the Chamber of Commerce, youth sports, the Farmington Hills Senior Golf League, and most recently, driving the Farmington Hills Senior Transportation bus.

He was a proud North Farmington High School Raider and University of Michigan Wolverine. Don also found fulfillment as a successful ThyssenKrupp Budd executive in the automotive industry for 36 years.

Don is the beloved husband of Carol. Loving father of Julie (Byron) Flint, Amy (fiancé Nicholas Rouech), Susan, Lindsay (fiancé Adam Lawrie), and Carrie. Dear grandpa ("Gup") to Logan and Teagan Flint. Don is also treasured by his sisters Jane Northway and Susan Blain as well as many nieces and nephews.

Visitation at McCabe Funeral Home, 31950 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills from 3-8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sharing of memories at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Funeral Service at Kirk in the Hills, 1340 W. Long Lake Rd., Bloomfield Hills on Thursday. Time to be determined. Donations in memory of Don can be sent to U-M Department of Urology (Prostate Cancer Research) and North Farmington High School. www.mccabefuneralhome.com

Heide Albers...The Budd Family Loses a Lady of Class

It is with deepest sadness that I report the untimely death of our colleague and friend, Heide Albers, who lost her battle with cancer this past week. We are advised that no public service or memorial is planned.

Heide worked at Budd Corporate Offices in the executive wing. Always with a smile on her face and a beam in her eye, Heide had a heart of gold. She was truly a Lady of Class.

Cards and letters may be mailed to Heide's husband, Gerhard Albers, at 43439 Rhineland, Sterling Heights, MI 48313.

George Reistad -- Obituary

REISTAD
GEORGE O. on May 19, 2010, of Convington, PA, formerly of Plymouth Meeting, age
70. Loving father of Dawn Reistad (Kappine), Kim Eddinger (Reistad) Erik Reistad
(Sandy). Beloved grandfather of David ,Ed, Brandon, Krystal, Frank, Ryan and
Evan. Also survived by his sister Tina Knopf (Reistad) as well as his
great-grandchildren Jadelyn and Jasmine. He is also survived by many other
great-grand-children, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers donations
may be made in his name to Ralph H. Hruban, M.D. at Johns Hopkins Medical
Institutions 401 North Broadway, Weinberg 2242 Baltimore, MD 21231-2410.