Obituary of Howard Beck Wentz, Jr.

WENTZ - Howard B. Jr. of Hobe Sound, FL. Born 1930 to Emmy Lou Cawthon and Howard B. Wentz of Pittsburgh. Predeceased by brother Sidney Frederick Wentz. Married 1958 to Judith Ann Blough. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, children H. Beck Wentz lll, Roger Blough Wentz, Elizabeth Ann Wentz-Stewart and four grandchildren. His education included Principia '44-'48; Princeton '48-'52 (BS Engineering) and Harvard Business School '55-'57 (MBA). In the US Navy, between '52-'55 during the Korean War, Howard flew as a Lieutenant JG airman from the carrier USS Princeton. Initially employed in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA, Howard worked in engineering consulting and manufacturing operations, eventually entering into a career with Amstar Corporation. Here he held positions as VP Operations '72 - '79; COO '79 - '81; Chairman '83 - '89; President '81- '89 and CEO '82 - '89. In the '90s Amstar was owned/controlled principally by Merrill Lynch Capital Partners (MLCP). When Amstar divested its' major businesses related to the production and distribution of sugar, the remaining companies, the largest of which was Milwaukee Electric Tool Inc., were merged with another MLCP controlled company in a similar industry known as ESSEX Industries. Howard became the Chairman of this new combined entity called ESSTAR Inc. 1989-1996. During this same period Howard was Chairman of Tambrands, 1993-1996. He was a tireless and influential director serving Crompton & Knowles '87 - '95; Tambrands '85 - '96; Interpace; Amstar Corp. '76 - '89; Amstar Holdings '84; Uniroyal; American Skandia; and Colgate-Palmolive '82 - '04 & '05 -'07. Howard founded and funded a Junior Faculty Award at Princeton's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences with the purpose of recognizing and assisting the research of promising junior faculty members in engineering. Howard was an adamant believer in the need to advance America's sciences education and especially engineering toward bolstering economic competitiveness. With his wife, he has co-funded the Judith B. and Howard B. Wentz Jr. College Scholarship Prize in Pre-Engineering at Kent School. He expanded and intensified his support of the cause, establishing both a teaching chair and fellowship fellowship while also funding the school's now flourishing Pre-Engineering Program. Howard was an avid golfer, also devoting much time to wingshooting, clays shooting, fly fishing and racquet sports. Balancing well his work and play, Howard invested time and service in the social and sporting pleasures of a variety of club memberships including: Hemisphere Club, NYC; University Club, NYC; The Blind Brook Club, NY; Woodway C.C., CT; Pine Valley Golf Club, NJ; The City Club of Palm Beach, FL; Jupiter Hills Club, FL; and held current memberships at Medalist G.C., FL; Loblolly, FL; and Blooming Grove H&FC, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wentz Pre-Engineering Program at Kent School, Kent, CT. 06757 A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 27th at 10:00AM at the First Presbyterian Church of Hawley, 815 Church Street, Hawley, PA 18428.