Obituary for Ludwig Josef Grenzhauser
Ludwig Josef “Ludo” Grenzhauser
May 13, 1936-2013
Middletown, NY
Ludwig Josef “Ludo” Grenzhauser, a retired Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for the Middletown School District, died unexpectedly on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, NY. He was 77 years old.
Ludo was born in Koblenz, Germany on May 13, 1936, the son of the late Martin Grenzhauser and the late Klara Martini Grenzhauser.
He was trained as an electrician and travelled to different countires in Europe, installing electrical cranes before he immigrated to the United States in April 1962. He joined his brother, Karlheinz in his motor repair business before he went to work for the Middletown Baord of Education, first as an electrician, working his way up to foreman, then the Superintendent of Building and Grounds, retiring in 1995. He enjoyed his job responsibilities and always enjoyed the people he worked with.
In December 1963, he married the former Geraldine McCormick, who predeceased him on May 11, 2006. She was the love of his life. He missed her everyday and while he got used to the fact that she had passed, he was always very lonely without her.
Ludo was a very talented man who could fix almost anything. He was very civic-minded, joining the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Truck 1X of Middletown NY in the mid-1960’s as he felt that he should give back to his community. He became captain of his department and eventually rose to the rank of fire chief in Middletown.
As a young man in Germany he enjoyed boxing and scuba diving. He continued to dive in the United States for some time as well. Additionally, he enjoyed cooking, reading, travelling on cruises with his family, Sunday dinners with his family and his daily trips around the Orange County area for his special German ingredients. He was a very hard worker who wanted things done “his way” but if a mistake was made, he would get frustrated for a little bit of time and then it was onto the next problem. He never held a grudge.
Left to mourn him are his heartbroken daughters, Kirsten Santangelo (Tin Tin) and her husband Carlo of Goshen, NY; his special “Bug”, Julie Osborne and her husband Mark of Middletown, NY; his only grandchild, Ryan Joseph Grenzhauser and his girlfriend Ashley Turner of Middletown, NY; his brother, Karlheinz Grenzhauser and his companion, Hannelore Josat of Middletown, NY and Limburg, Germany; his niece Brigitte Runnalls of Middletown, NY; and sisters-in-law Edith Grenzhauser of Neu Anspach, Germany and Bernadette Hunt of Middletown, as well as many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his special Scottish Terrier, Duffy, who he called his “little putchie-man”.
Ludo was predeceased by his only son, Martin Fitzgerald Grenzhauser who died on July 17, 1996 due to a tragic ditch collapse. He missed Martin everyday. He was also predeceased by his brother, Theo Grenzhauser in 2010.
Visitation hours are from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at the Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc, 130 Highland Avenue, Middletown, NY with firematic services at 7:30 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Church, 149 Cottage Street, Middletown, NY 10940. Burial will follow in the family plot at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Middletown, NY.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 419 E Main St Ste 309, Middletown, NY 10940 or the Salvation Army, 80 West Main Street, Middletown, NY 10940 (Ludo always appreciated the fact that during 3-alarm fires in Middletown that the Salvation Army always brought coffe, sandwiches and refreshments to the firefighters battling the blaze).
Arrangements under the direction of Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, In. www.applebee-mcphillips.com
Visitation hours are from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at the Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc, 130 Highland Avenue, Middletown, NY with firematic services at 7:30 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Church, 149 Cottage Street, Middletown, NY 10940. Burial will follow in the family plot at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Middletown, NY.
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May 13, 1936-2013
Middletown, NY
Ludwig Josef “Ludo” Grenzhauser, a retired Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for the Middletown School District, died unexpectedly on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, NY. He was 77 years old.
Ludo was born in Koblenz, Germany on May 13, 1936, the son of the late Martin Grenzhauser and the late Klara Martini Grenzhauser.
He was trained as an electrician and travelled to different countires in Europe, installing electrical cranes before he immigrated to the United States in April 1962. He joined his brother, Karlheinz in his motor repair business before he went to work for the Middletown Baord of Education, first as an electrician, working his way up to foreman, then the Superintendent of Building and Grounds, retiring in 1995. He enjoyed his job responsibilities and always enjoyed the people he worked with.
In December 1963, he married the former Geraldine McCormick, who predeceased him on May 11, 2006. She was the love of his life. He missed her everyday and while he got used to the fact that she had passed, he was always very lonely without her.
Ludo was a very talented man who could fix almost anything. He was very civic-minded, joining the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Truck 1X of Middletown NY in the mid-1960’s as he felt that he should give back to his community. He became captain of his department and eventually rose to the rank of fire chief in Middletown.
As a young man in Germany he enjoyed boxing and scuba diving. He continued to dive in the United States for some time as well. Additionally, he enjoyed cooking, reading, travelling on cruises with his family, Sunday dinners with his family and his daily trips around the Orange County area for his special German ingredients. He was a very hard worker who wanted things done “his way” but if a mistake was made, he would get frustrated for a little bit of time and then it was onto the next problem. He never held a grudge.
Left to mourn him are his heartbroken daughters, Kirsten Santangelo (Tin Tin) and her husband Carlo of Goshen, NY; his special “Bug”, Julie Osborne and her husband Mark of Middletown, NY; his only grandchild, Ryan Joseph Grenzhauser and his girlfriend Ashley Turner of Middletown, NY; his brother, Karlheinz Grenzhauser and his companion, Hannelore Josat of Middletown, NY and Limburg, Germany; his niece Brigitte Runnalls of Middletown, NY; and sisters-in-law Edith Grenzhauser of Neu Anspach, Germany and Bernadette Hunt of Middletown, as well as many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his special Scottish Terrier, Duffy, who he called his “little putchie-man”.
Ludo was predeceased by his only son, Martin Fitzgerald Grenzhauser who died on July 17, 1996 due to a tragic ditch collapse. He missed Martin everyday. He was also predeceased by his brother, Theo Grenzhauser in 2010.
Visitation hours are from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at the Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc, 130 Highland Avenue, Middletown, NY with firematic services at 7:30 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Church, 149 Cottage Street, Middletown, NY 10940. Burial will follow in the family plot at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Middletown, NY.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 419 E Main St Ste 309, Middletown, NY 10940 or the Salvation Army, 80 West Main Street, Middletown, NY 10940 (Ludo always appreciated the fact that during 3-alarm fires in Middletown that the Salvation Army always brought coffe, sandwiches and refreshments to the firefighters battling the blaze).
Arrangements under the direction of Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, In. www.applebee-mcphillips.com
Visitation hours are from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at the Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc, 130 Highland Avenue, Middletown, NY with firematic services at 7:30 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at St. Joseph’s Church, 149 Cottage Street, Middletown, NY 10940. Burial will follow in the family plot at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Middletown, NY.
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