John W. Ditzler

John William Ditzler, 83, of Sugar Grove, Illinois died on July 7, 2023 at Northwestern Medical Center Delnor Hospital, Geneva Illinois He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 20, 1939 to John Lewis and Helen Steele Ditzler. His family moved to Union, New Jersey, in 1943; to Sharon, Massachusetts in 1945 and to Staunton, Virginia in 1954. He was active in 4H projects and enjoyed building activities with his dad, especially a unique travel trailer, which the family utilized to travel throughout the United Sates in the 1950s before the modern mobile home and camper era. He began as a Cub Scout in the Boy Scouts of America and eventually advanced to receive his Eagle Scout Award in 1953. He trained as a pianist and organist and, as a teenager, worked as a substitute organist for several Staunton Virginia churches before becoming organist for Hebron Presbyterian Church in Swoope, Virginia. He worked for several summers as the trading post manager at Camp Shenandoah, Swoope, Virginia, Stonewall Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. He also worked as a bus boy for a restaurant operated by his aunt and uncle in Atlantic City New Jersey when he was 15. He graduated maxima cum laude and valedictorian from Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton, Virginia in 1957.
John attended Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, where he played trombone and served as Personnel Officer in the Purdue Marching Band. He was elected to Kappa Kappa Psi, national band honorary and Pi Tau Sigma, national mechanical engineering honorary. He was a member of Triangle Fraternity for engineering and architectural students. John held summer positions with the Southern Railroad in Aiken South Carolina and E.I. DuPont in Waynesboro, Virginia. He graduated from Purdue University in 1961 with a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering. He was awarded a graduate research fellowship, which led to a Masters degree from Purdue University in mechanical engineering in 1963.
John William Ditzler married Mary Jane Ridgway at Hebron Presbyterian Church, Swoope, Virginia, on June 30, 1962. After graduate school, John joined E.I. DuPont Corporation in Richmond, Virginia, as an engineer where he helped in the development of "Tyvek". In 1968, he became a Project Manager in the research division of Leesona Corporation in Warwick, Rhode Island and later became a Product Manager for the Fibers from Film group with worldwide responsibility for a machine line for the production of synthetic textile yarns.
Upon moving to Chatham Township, New Jersey in 1976, John joined Allied Chemical Company in Morristown, New Jersey as a Project Manager in Corporate Research and Development which manufactured "Metglas" ribbon. In 1979, he took a position as Engineering Director for National Blank Book, a division of Dennison Corporation in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The family moved to nearby Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where John was an active member of the First Church of Christ of Longmeadow. He also served on the Stewardship Committee for the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ (UCC). In 1986 John continued his career as Plant Manager and later as Vice President for Jahn Foundry in Springfield, Massachusetts. He joined New England Airfoil in Farmington, Connecticut as General Manager in May1991.
In 1993, John accepted a position as Vice President of Operations for Brown Machine in Beaverton, Michigan relocating his home with Mary Jane to Midland, Michigan. After working as a Project Manager for Conair/Jetro in Bay City, Michigan, he retired as an Application Engineer/Project Manager from Newcor Corporation, Bay City, Michigan in 2002. He and his wife moved to Sugar Grove Illinois in July 2016 to be closer to family members.
Throughout the years, John's career led him to travel throughout Europe, South Africa, Japan and Korea. He and his wife also enjoyed extensive personal travel throughout the United States and Europe. John sang in church choirs, served as a summer substitute organist, and played in handbell choirs throughout his adult life. He served in many capacities in the churches where he worshipped. He was a Presbyterian elder, a deacon in several churches and specialized in church finances. He chaired the Stewardship Committee of the Michigan Conference UCC for many years. Other volunteer work included arrangements coordinator for several annual meetings of the Michigan Conference UCC as well as service with the Midland Michigan Habitat for Humanity and Midland [MI] Area Homes. He especially enjoyed making maple syrup and explaining how it is made to young people visiting the Chippewa Nature Centereach spring.
In addition to his wife of 61 years, he is survived by his two daughters, Kathryn (Kathy) D. Crabb, R.D. of Hilliard, Ohio and Dr. Laura D. Pittman of Aurora, Illinois and his sons-in-law, Jarred Charles Crabb and Thomas Lindley Pittman. He also is survived by three beloved grandchildren, Amanda Crabb Nofzinger and husband, Matthew, Grove City, Ohio; Darcey Elizabeth Pittman, New York City, New York; Gale Pittman, recent graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts; great granddaughter, Joanna Faith Nofzinger and great grandson, Benjamin Lindley Nofzinger; his two sisters, Nancy D. Chen [Bill] and Barbara D. Iwami [Larry]; Hilo Hawaii; and nephew, Christopher John Chen, Morton Grove, Illinois.
A celebration of John's life will be held Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 11 a.m. at New England Congregational Church, 406 West Galena Boulevard, Aurora Illinois. Family visitation will be held at the church beginning at 10 am, with a lunch to follow the service. Burial will be at a later date at Sattazahn's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Lickdale [Green Point], Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to New England Congregational Church, Aurora, IL or the United Church of Christ, Midland, MI.