Dean Lammering Obituary

J. Dean Lammering J. Dean Lammering, a long-time executive in the water treatment and chemicals industry, passed away December 12, 2013, in Chicago, surrounded by his family, after an 18-month, courageous battle with leukemia. The consensus of his many friends and colleagues is that he was a gentleman 's gentleman. Born April 13, 1949 in Chicago, he grew up in Hammond, Indiana, went to public schools there, and graduated from Hammond High School in 1967. He graduated with a degree in microbiology from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1971, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He taught briefly at Roosevelt University before starting a 32-year career in product development and marketing at Nalco Chemical Company in 1972, in the microbiology lab. In 1988, he was named Marketer of the Year by the company. During the course of his career he won many other awards, from his employer and from industry trade groups. He was a member of the Cooling Tower Institute, where he was a committee member, treasurer and member of the board of directors. Most recently he led the Cooling Water Product Marketing Team for the Water & Process Services Division of Nalco. He also worked for eight years in marketing for another chemical company, Lonza, of Basel, Switzerland. He traveled world-wide for Nalco, including an around-the-world trip in 1998. Family travel took him to Chile, France, Ireland, Mexico, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea and Alaska and Hawaii and many other places in the US. "Lead by example was his mantra, " said his wife of 31 years, Judy Chaffee Lammering. "And he lived it every day. He was modest and didn 't take credit for many of the great things he did, for the company and for his friends and family. " He had many loves: family, friends, golf, gardening, movies, the Bears and the Cubs, fishing and camping, and outdoor grilling no matter what the weather was. He was known for his skill in raising dahlias and was active with his children in YMCA Indian Princesses and Indian Guides. He enjoyed a good scotch or a nice Bordeaux. He is survived by his wife, his children, Staci (Bryan Ray), Bailey and Renny; his sister, Randi (late David) Nelson; two brothers-in-law, three sisters-in-law, and five nieces and nephews. A celebration of Dean 's life is scheduled for 10:30 am, Friday, December 20, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church, 550 N. Main, Glen Ellyn. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Research Society (lls.org) or to CaringBridge (caringbridge.org). Arrangements were handled by Leonard Memorial Home, 565 Duane St., Glen Ellyn 630-469-0032.