Byron D. Quandt

Byron D. Quandt passed away on Sunday, September 16, 2012 at Hospice of the Western Reserve in Westlake, Ohio after a short battle with brain cancer. He was born in Carroll, Iowa on March 7, 1942 to Ivadell Bednar Quandt and the Rev. Harvey Quandt. Byron grew up in various towns in Iowa and graduated from New London High School in New London, Iowa where he played football, basketball, and baseball. The football team was undefeated from the beginning of his sophomore year through his senior year with a twenty-two game winning streak. Their senior year, only seven points were scored against them. Byron maintained friendships with some of his teammates throughout his life. He was a member of the concert band, playing the French horn, the clarinet, trumpet, and later the piano and guitar. In the state music contest, he received the highest rating possible for solo performances. Byron was also quite proud of being selected, in junior high, to play the French horn solo from Dvoraks From the New World symphony with the high school concert band. He sang in the mixed chorus, acted in plays, and served as editor of the yearbook. Upon graduation, he went to Cornell College where he received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Sociology. Following college, he spent two years in Chile while serving in the Peace Corps. He then attended the University of Iowa where he received a Masters Degree in the Arts with a Major in Voice. Byrons professional life began with Sheller Globe Co. in 1967-68, followed by Massey Ferguson from 1971-1985 serving as vice-president from 1981-85, at which time he moved to Toledo, where he lived for the rest of his life. From 1985-2001 he was with Pilkington/Libbey- Owens-Ford Co., an automotive and commercial glass company. He was Senior Vice President from 1986-2001, directing the Human Resource Department. One of his fellow professionals said, Byron had a way of bringing out the best in his employees. His leadership was evident and appreciated yet he never took credit for success credit went to his team. Byrons athletic enthusiasm lasted throughout his life as he played tennis and golf, rode his bike through many metroparks and exercised at the gym most days of the week. He enjoyed music throughout his life, especially jazz and classical. Always inquisitive and eager to learn, he read constantly, always on the lookout for a new book. Byron served on the Board of Junior Achievement of Northwest Ohio for many years and on the Toledo Opera Board. He was a member of Epworth United Methodist Church and Sylvania Country Club where he was elected President of the Board of Trustees. His additional memberships past and present include: the Toledo Club, Toledo Tennis Club, The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Jazz Society, Wildwood Metroparks, The Toledo Symphony, Toledo Botanical Gardens, Toledo Zoo, and WGTE. With his wife, he enjoyed Inverness Club. Byron will always be greatly missed by those who knew him and remembered as a humble, unselfish man who was kind, compassionate, had a quick wit and a good sense of humor. More than anything, Byron enjoyed his family. The grandchildren adored their Papa and he them, as they experienced the fun activities, trips and adventures they shared. Left to cherish his memory is his devoted wife, Nancy Buss Straub who he married on December 21, 1991. He is also survived by his children, Kristine Jeffrey Burk of Houston, TX and Timothy Julie Quandt of Columbus, OH; as well as Nancys children, K. Matthew Straub of Granby, Colorado and Stephanie Kennedy Derek Harley of Avon Lake, OH, all of whom enjoyed an especially close relationship with him. His eight grandchildren include, Ethan and Evan Burk, Samantha and Owen Quandt, Blake Straub, and Madison, Tommy, and Billy Kennedy. Byron had eagerly anticipated the arrival of baby Kate Harley, due this fall. Also surviving is his brother, Marvin Quandt of Des Moines, IA. He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother Harvey D. Quandt. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. The family would like to express appreciation to the knowledgeable and compassionate doctors and caregivers at the Cleveland Clinic, Towne Center of Avon Lake, and Hospice of the Western Reserve, as well as to the many friends who remembered Byron throughout his illness. Those wishing to extend an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, P.O. Box 353123, Toledo, OH 43635; Metroparks Toledo Area, 5100 W. Central Ave. Toledo, OH 43615; the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, 1838 Parkwood Ave. Toledo, OH 43624; or the Cleveland Clinic Brain Tumor Research Fund T56123, P.O. Box 931517 Cleveland, OH 44193-1655. The Walker Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements, 419.841.2422. Online condolences may be shared by visiting walkerfuneralhomes.com. Following is the feature article from the Toledo Blade on September 29, 2012: News article A retired senior vice president for Pilkington North America, Byron Quandt, 70, died Sunday of brain cancer in Hospice of Western Reserve, Westlake, Ohio. Mr. Quandt of Ottawa Hills was given a diagnosis of a brain tumor in June and underwent surgery July 6, said Nancy Quandt, his wife of 20 years. He joined what was then Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. in 1985, and directed the auto-glass makers human resources operations. His responsibilities included employee recruitment, compensation, benefits, organizational development, training, labor relations, public relations, and managing health and safety programs. Dan Dimas, a former employee of the firm, now part of Pilkington, who was recruited in 1991 by Mr. Quandt, described him as a hands-off leader who gave employees freedom to do their jobs. He was a boss who didnt micro-manage. He kind of set the course for us and had a vision. Basically he turned us loose to get the job done, said Mr. Dimas, who now is a consultant for the Hylant Group. He said he values the leadership skills he developed under his former boss. He was great guy, but he became a very dear friend, he said. Mrs. Quandt said her husband, who retired from Pilkington in 2001, had lived in many places throughout his life, but lived in the Toledo area the longest. He was born in 1942 in Carroll, Iowa, to Ivadell and the Rev. Harvey Quandt, a Methodist minister. He graduated in 1959 from high school in New London, Iowa, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. A talented musician who played the French horn, clarinet, and trumpet, he also was in the schools concert band. Mrs. Quandt said he later learned piano and guitar, and although he never played professionally he became an ardent supporter of the Toledo Symphony and Toledo Jazz Society and loved to listen to local musicians talents. He graduated from Cornell University in 1964 with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology and then became a Peace Corps volunteer for two years in Chile. He continued his studies at the University of Iowa, receiving a master of arts degree. He joined the former Toledo-based Sheller-Globe Corp., a major automotive supplier, in 1967 and left in 1968 to work for the former Massey-Ferguson Inc., a farm tractor and machinery manufacturer, in Des Moines. Though his college degrees were in the arts, Mr. Quandt had taken many psychology and sociology classes that became usefull in his professional career, his wife said. He cared so much about the people he worked with or worked for, and it always went beyond just a job, she said. He wanted to have the best for them. He served on the boards of Junior Achievement of Northwest Ohio and Toledo Opera and was a member of Epworth United Methodist Church. Mr. Quandt was a past president of its board of trustees of the Sylvania Country Club. Mr. Quandts other memberships including the Toledo Club, Toledo Tennis Club, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Symphony, Toledo Jazz Society, Metroparks of the Toledo Area, and Toledo Botanical Garden. Surviving are his wife, Nancy; daughter, Kristine Burk; son, Timothy Quandt; stepson, Karl Matthew Straub; stepdaughter, Stephanie Harley; brother, Marvin Quandt, and eight grandchildren. Private memorial services will be held later. Walker Funeral Home is handling arrangements. The family suggests tributes to the Toledo jazz or symphony orchestras, the metroparks district, or Cleveland Clinic Brain Tumor Research Fund. Published in Toledo Blade on September 29, 2012.