Obituaries

John was born to Richard Ehrmin, carpenter and architect, and Wave Ehrmin in August of 1941. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer. He was a curious person interested in many things.

He attended DeVeaux Grade School and then DeVilbiss HS in the class of 1959. He played trumpet in the concert band, marching band and in teen town bands. He achieved the National Honor Society. He was a paperboy out of the Toledo Blade Butler station.

He was given a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati Engineering College Cooperative Engineering School from Surface Combustion and received a BSME degree. He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Later he received a MSME from The University of Toledo. Upon graduation from UC he returned to his co-op job at Surface where he was an engineer in the Kathabar department, manufacturers of industrial dehumidification systems.

Later he joined Samborn Steketee Otis & Evans where his father was an architect. He became a registered engineer, PE, in Ohio and Michigan. His career was in building mechanical system including HVAC, plumbing, and fire sprinkler systems, energy conservation for institutional and commercial buildings, and industrial process support. While at SSOE he became an associate and chief HVAC Engineer.

Preferring to design he moved to Rightmyer Johnson and Assoc in 1981 becoming a partner. During his time at SSOE and RJA he had literally hundreds of designs in industrial, commercial, health, religious, and educational institutions. His last professional adventure was at the University of Michigan as an Operations & Maintenance Engineer in Ann Arbor where his responsibility was the North Campus including the School of Engineering, Art & Architecture, and the Music Bldg. During his time there the Walgreen Drama Center, a Computer Science Building and a doubling of a computer chip clean room were constructed. He did the hydraulic and control design for a 10,000 ton chilled water plant. He became a certified building commissioner, and a certified energy manager.

After retirement he did part time consulting for the jdi group. There he did a new lab for the Toledo BP refinery, the Elephant bull and cow barns for the Toledo Zoo, an expansion at the Honda East Liberty Assembly Plant, and consolidated the chiller plant and replaced chillers for the UTMC medical campus.

He met Irene Rogers, also from Toledo, at UC where she was a UC nursing student and they were married in 1964. They just made it to their 60th anniversary. He is survived by Irene, his daughters Dr. Joanna Ehrmin, Julia Burtscher (Todd), and brother James (Mary), niece and nephews, Foster and Kransberger cousins. After marrying Irene he became an active Episcopalian serving on the vestry and as property chairman at St Mark's and as a vestryman and property chairman at St Michaels in the Hills. He was co-chair of the committee that obtained the Karl Wilhelm organ. He was a choir singer in both churches with Irene for 60 years.

He was active in community affairs. He joined The Toledo Rotary Club in 1986, achieved 17 years of perfect attendance, and was a chairman of the Community Services Committee. He did the plumbing for two Habitat for Humanity Houses. He served as a president of the local ASHRAE Chapter and was member of ASME. He took glass blowing lessons at The Toledo Museum of Art and was a founding member of The Toledo Area Glass Guild where he served as treasurer for many years. He was juried into the Crosby Art Festival and twice into the Toledo Artists May Show. He sold glass through The Work of Art at Portside, TMA Collectors Corner, and The Glass Apple. He also studied blacksmithing and other art classes at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Other interests included home remodeling, gardening even working at a greenhouse, reading, travel, bicycling, swimming, airplanes, trains and cats. He had a private pilots license and recently rode in a P-51 Mustang and a B-29 bomber. He was an engineer and fireman on the Toledo Lake Erie and Western steam train that ran on what is now the University Parks Trail. He was a member of the Michigan Small Scale Live Steamers and had a G Gauge track in his yard. He and Irene were able to visit many railroad spots and he was a member of The Society for Industrial Archeology and has toured many industrial plants.

He and Irene enjoyed travel. They have been in almost all US States including Hawaii and Alaska, and many Canadian Provinces. They attended the Oberammergau Passion Play in 2010 which included Italy, Switzerland. Austria, and Germany. Later they toured the UK where they visited origins of Irene’s ancestors in Western England. They have cruised the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, on the Columbia River, the Delta Queen, and in Belgium and the Netherlands.

He is very grateful for the 83 years he was granted for his abilities, experiences and adventures, for his wonderful wife and companion Irene for 64 years and his daughters – every day was an adventure.

The Funeral Service for John will be Saturday, October 26 at 11am at St. Michael's in the Hills Episcopal Church, 4718 Brittany Road, Ottawa Hills, OH 43615, followed by a reception. John will be laid to rest in the Memorial Garden at St. Michael’s in the Hills Church.

Any donations may be by a connection to ASHRAE Research Fund, The Toledo Rotary Club Foundation, St Michael’s in the Hills Music Fund for organ recitals, Toledo Area Glass Guild, and Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion, Toledo Humane Society or BGSU Horn Club.