Neil Pohlmann

POHLMANN

Dr. Neil A.



Dr. Neil A. Pohlmann, Professor Emeritus, 85, of Bowling Green, Ohio, passed away on Sunday, April 12, 2015, after a long illness.

Dr. Pohlmann was born on June 24, 1929, in Crystal Lake, Illinois, to the late Arthur Carl and Alice Rose (Tessendorf) Pohlmann, later of Defiance, Ohio.

He married Mary (Weisgerber) Pohlmann on June 12, 1952, in St. John's Catholic Church in Defiance, and she survives him in Bowling Green. He is also survived by his sister, Jennie Snyder of Engadine, Michigan, and his brother, Ted (Carol) Pohlmann of Defiance.

Dr. Pohlmann is also survived by his eight daughters, Sandra (Jeff) Carpenter, Catawba Island, Ohio, Lynn Schmidt, Bowling Green, Mary Kay (Rex) Culver, Sylvania, Ohio, Pamela (Ruben) Herrera, Avon Lake, Ohio, Ann Pohlmann, Toledo, Jayne (Tim) Murnen, Bowling Green, Lisa (Les) Brown, Findlay, Ohio, Nicole (John) Holt, Sylvania, Ohio; grandchildren, Maren, John, Elizabeth, Michael, Gabriel, Olivia, Nile, Nolan, Lars, Jessica, Jason, Jordan, Lily, Flannery, Adalie, Anna, Sophia, and Ansel; four great-grandchildren.

Dr. Pohlmann was also preceded in death by an infant brother, Victor Lynn Pohlmann; a son-in-law, Roger Schmidt, and a brother-in-law, Robert Snyder.

Dr. Pohlmann strongly believed in freedom, learning, individuality, equality, and service to God, family, and country. In total, he gave 45 years of dedicated service to Ohio public education as a classroom teacher, principal, superintendent, and professor, teaching future teachers and administrators.

Education was always a focus in Dr. Pohlmann's life, beginning with graduation from Defiance High School in 1948 and Bowling Green State University in 1952. To complement his studies, he quarterbacked the Falcon football team and played on the basketball and track teams. He was also a member of the BGSU ROTC Program, the Army Air Corps, and Sigma Chi Fraternity. After graduation, Dr. Pohlmann served his country proudly as a U.S. Army reconnaissance pilot during the Korean Conflict.

After returning from military service in 1954, he taught math and science and served as school counselor and football/basketball coach at Mayfield Middle School while he worked on his master's and education specialist degrees at BGSU. In 1961, he became superintendent of Northeastern Local Schools near Defiance. In 1963, he moved his family to Flint, Michigan and earned a Doctoral degree in Education Administration at Wayne State University. He returned to BGSU in 1964 to serve in the Department of Education Administration & Supervision. He was EDAS department chair from 1973-1976. He retired in 1986, became a professor emeritus, and continued to teach at BGSU until 1996. In addition, he was the Secretary of the Northwest Ohio School Board Association for 22 years, the longest tenure of any Regional Secretary in the group's history, and served on the National School Board Association, Buckeye Association of School Administrators, and Phi Delta Kappa.

He was a former member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, parishioner of St. Aloysius Catholic Church, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. A life member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity at BGSU, he was the last living member of a Doctoral group call the "Red Rulers," and belonged to the "Dumscheitz," a lifelong group of friends from Defiance. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, refereeing basketball, fishing, landscaping, golfing, curling, reading, listening to jazz and "big band" music, and watching all types of sports.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 15 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m., with a Sigma Chi White Rose Memorial Service beginning at 7:30 p.m. followed by a Scripture Service in the Deck-Hanneman Funeral Home and Crematory, 1460 W. Wooster Street, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402, Tele: 419-352-2171. Funeral services will begin at the funeral home on Thursday, April 16 with prayers at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Mass of Resurrection at 11:00 a.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 150 South Enterprise Street, Bowling Green. Interment with military honors will be private.

Memorial Contributions in Dr. Pohlmann's honor may be given to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Bowling Green State University Foundation - College of Education and Human Development, and St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Online condolences as well as fond memories may be shared with the Pohlmann family by visiting:

www.hannemanfh.com