Cornelis Langewis Sr.

1918 - 2010

Cornelis Langewis, Sr., 92, passed away Friday, April 16, 2010 in Walnut Creek, CA. He was born on April 10, 1918 in Wormerveer, the Netherlands to Cornelis and Elisabeth Langewis.

Cor lead a difficult life as a youngster, losing his father at the age of twelve and his mother at the age of twenty. He put himself through technical school and worked as an electrician. He married his childhood sweetheart in July of 1939. Life was tough in occupied Holland during WWII, but Cor was very resourceful and survived by working as an engineer and grain milling plant supervisor. His exploits with the Dutch resistance have yielded many interesting stories for the family and friends. After the war, Cor, Gonda and four children immigrated to the USA to pursue a better and more prosperous life. They originally lived around Kansas City for two years where Cor worked for the Marley Company, designing industrial water cooling towers. The climate did not suit Gonda, and the family moved to Walnut Creek, CA in 1956, where the youngest daughter, Hildy, was born. He worked for Henry Kaiser, initially in the Kaiser Industries Company and then in Kaiser Aluminum where he found his engineering calling and worldwide recognition. Initially he worked on aluminum foil rolling and packaging machinery, but it was aluminum cans that were his forte. He designed machinery and supervised construction of numerous can plants around the USA and the world. He is the holder of over twenty patents on the machines that make the cans and the pop tops. After retiring from Kaiser in 1980, he had a second career as a can making consultant for the world wide beverage industry.

Upon retiring from the consulting business, he continued to travel and polished his machinery skill by building scale model steam engines of museum quality. He had many friends in this hobby, including a group of model engine builders in the UK and the Bay Area. He also had a life long pursuit of photography as a hobby, having had his own darkroom and being a member of a film club in pre-WWII Holland.

Cor was preceded in death by Hillegonda, his loving wife of 63 years and Christiaan, 60, his son.

He is survived by his brother Jan; daughters, Elisabeth and Hillegonda (Hildy); and sons, Cornelis Jr and Johan. He also has eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

He will be missed by his family and friends.

A private 'Celebration of Life' has been held.