William Charles Nachtrab

William C. (Bill) Nachtrab Bill Nachtrab, age 93, died peacefully on August 23, 2020. Our Dad was born on November 13, 1926 to Charles and Clara (Irmen) Nachtrab in Toledo, Ohio. He was the eighth of nine children and was always proud to say, “I have seven sisters and a brother!” Dad was married to our mother, Helen, for 46 love-filled years until her death in 1994. Two years later he married Jane, the second love of his life. They were married for 22 wonderful years. Jane was fun to be with and we all loved her very much. Dad was truly twice blest to have been married to two exceptional women. Dad was a wonderful father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and mentor to many. We, his children, Bill (Kathy) Nachtrab, Marcia (Marv) Rashley, Julie (Randy) Zackrisson, Bob (Valerie Meade) Nachtrab, Anne-Marie (Chris Spiller) Ainsworth, Martin Gleespen, Michael (Abbie) Gleespen, Susan Mattimoe, and Patrick Gleespen, all loved him dearly. He has a great legacy being the “Grandfather” to 35 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren and counting. Dad was a lifelong Notre Dame Football fan, holding season tickets for many years. Loving competitive games, Dad never tired of playing Bridge and Chess. Dad was an avid golfer and a member of Sylvania Country Club for 36 years. Not necessarily a good golfer but good enough to have four “Holes-in-One”. However, his real loves were spending time with his growing family, especially for the holidays, and his Christian Faith. He was a devout Catholic and an active member of Christ the King Parish for over 40 years. His brother, Bernard Nachtrab, and his sisters: Mary Dolt Pauken, Helen Schweer, Florence LaVoy, Frances Gabel Boyer, Eleanor LaVoy and Catherine (Ione) Nachtrab, who died as a child, all passed before Dad. Matthew Ainsworth, his Grandson, also passed away before him. Dad is survived by his younger sister, Jeanne Laux. Dad served in the U.S. Army in Okinawa at the end of World War II. When he returned from the War, he served a tool & die apprenticeship at Schultz Die Casting. After that, Dad and two partners founded Dun-Rite Tool & Die Company. From there, Dad went on to manage Modern Tools and built it from a small company to one of the largest Tool & Die Businesses in the nation. He was Modern Tools’ General Manager and became a Vice-President of the Libbey-Owens-Ford Company after they purchased Modern Tools. Truly a titan in the Tool & Die Industry, Dad made Modern Tools a showcase for CNC Machining. He was a pioneer bringing Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Machining (CAD/CAM) to the industry. He incorporated improvements to compression molds that changed the industry. Also, a great salesman, Dad, with sheer determination was able to secure a multimillion-dollar package for a GMC Truck. It was a novel design for a one-piece hood that required the world’s largest block of tool steel ever forged. He was also an officer for the National Tooling and Machining Association. He retired from Modern Tools in 1991 but went on to top off the last six years of his career as the Vice-President and COO of the National Center for Tooling and Precision Components. A private visitation and funeral Mass for children and grandchildren will be held Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Christ the King Catholic Church followed by interment at Toledo Memorial Park. The service will be live streamed beginning at 11:00 a.m. To view the service, go to walkerfuneralhomes.com and click on Bill's profile then click tribute wall. In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Christ the King Catholic Church, Central Catholic High School or St. Ursula Academy. The family is planning a Mass and Celebration of Life party, hopefully next year, when it can be done safely.