John "Jack" Binsfeld

John Edward (Jack) Binsfeld, 92, of Maple City, MI, passed from this life on May 9, 2014. A loving husband, father, grandfather and longtime resident of Glen Lake, he was the retired president of Binsfeld Engineering Inc., a business he started in 1976. Born in Detroit, MI on March 21, 1922, Jack was the oldest child of John Joseph and Bertha (Sander) Binsfeld. Along with two younger sisters, Agnes and Rita, Jack grew up during the Great Depression where he saw his family work hard to survive. His father held down multiple jobs and ran a small corner store to make ends meet and help his extended family put food on the table. Even during the difficult financial times, Jack’s father was successful enough to buy a lot on Lake Huron near Lexington. Jack helped his father relocate and improve a small cabin on the property where the family spent time in the summer and he gained his love of water and boating. Always industrious, Jack worked three paper routes to earn the extra money needed to attend De La Salle Collegiate, a Catholic High School run by Christian Brothers - where his hero, Cousin Rene, had attended. He had an early interest in radio and aviation, building a simple crystal radio to listen in on the tower communications while watching the flights at Detroit Field across the street from his classroom. When the war came, Jack was attending St. Mary’s College in Winona, MN. He immediately enlisted into the U.S. Army Air Corp (predecessor of today’s U.S. Air Force). Because of his strong background in radio and electronics, he was tapped for a top secret project group. Restricted to wearing “civvies” and attending secret training at MIT, Wright Patterson and Chicago, his team designed and assembled the ruggedized circuits for the first generation of remote controlled bombs. He also did extensive field testing of the new design that transmitted live television from its nose and could be steered by radio actuated elevators and rudder once released high above the target. This was the first directional bomb that could hit pinpoint targets and was the precursor to today’s sophisticated unmanned drones. After the war, Jack returned to the Detroit area and married his sweetheart, Connie Berube (college chum of Agnes and Rita). The young couple, like so many in the post war years, settled into Detroit suburbia and started growing a family, to eventually include five children. All the while, Jack worked full time and attended night classes at Lawrence Institute of Technology, eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He also studied and passed the examinations for his Professional Engineer’s Certification. His career included management of a large mechanical testing lab for Sperry Vickers in the Detroit area, Chief Engineer for Parsons Corporation in Traverse City, MI and President of Binsfeld Engineering in Burdickville, MI. In his spare time Jack enjoyed his family (serving as scout master for his sons), Glen Lake (where the family owned a summer cottage and eventually a year-round home), and a continued passion for boating and water sports. He and a neighbor built a paddlewheel powered pontoon boat, the “Connie Who”, which was infamous for cruising the waters of Little Glen, and later kept a 22 foot sailboat (the “Connie Who IV”) on Big Glen. Active in the Glen Lake Yacht Club, he served as their Commodore. Later in life, he and Connie had a second home on Munising Bay on Lake Superior and Jack kept a pontoon boat at his dock for exploring Grand Island and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Jack is survived by his sister, Rita O’Connor of Traverse City, four children; Gregory R. Binsfeld of Steamboat Springs, CO; Susan C. Maxwell (Michael) of Santiago, Mexico; Paul J. Binsfeld (Cherie) of Empire, MI; Michael W. Binsfeld (Mindy) of Maple City, MI; daughter-in-law, Maria Binsfeld, Broomfield, CO; 6 grandchildren: Becky Hummel (Chris); Katy and Gus Maxwell; Nancy, Molly, and Matt Binsfeld; two great grandchildren: Ethan and Raina Hummel; step grandson Stuart Bentley and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Connie Binsfeld, his parents, John and Bertha Binsfeld, his sister Agnes Crombe (Norbert) and his son, John T. Binsfeld. The family will hold a private service now, but plans to celebrate a Memorial Service for both John and Connie on Saturday, July 19, 2014. Details will be published at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: HOSPICE OF MICHIGAN Donation Processing Center 400 Mack Avenue Detroit, MI 48201-2136 www.hom.org Please share your memories and thoughts with John's family by way of his online guest book at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com The family is being served by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.

John "Jack" Binsfeld

March 21, 1922 - May 9, 2014