Obituary: Fred Ullman an Athlete, Inventor, Civic Volunteer

The obituary below comes from Kelly and Spalding Funeral Home.

Fred Ullman passed away May 1, 2013, after a long, full and fruitful life.

“Uncle Fred” was an athlete, inventor, civic volunteer, executive, cherished friend, mentor, father and husband.

Born in Chicago, he lived his first 14 years in Antigo, Wisc. before his family relocated in Highland Park. He graduated from Deerfield Shields High School in 1934 and attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he was a 3 year letter winner on the track team. He graduated in UNC’s last class of Engineering students, with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1938.

He served as a Lieutenant in the Navy during WWII, specializing in Naval Ordinance, and married Ann Riegelman in 1944. After the war, Ann and Fred settled in Winnetka, where Fred applied his engineering skills at Triangle Packaging Machinery, then at Inland Steel, Container Div., where he became Vice President of the Grotnes Machine subsidiary.

Fred’s civic activities involved the Winnetka Community Chest, where he served as President in 1963 and then on the Board of its successor organization, the Suburban Council of Community Chests in 1968. In 1971, the family moved to Glencoe, where he served as a Glencoe Village Trustee from 1983-87.

Fred could fix or build anything. He held 28 patents from his work at Triangle and Inland Steel. After retirement, he worked as a volunteer for the International Executive Service Corps, serving 3 month assignments in Cairo and Zimbabwe. But his true labor of love was maintaining the 90 year old family summer retreat located on an island in northern Wisconsin. He delighted in touch football, skiing and playing ice hockey and was an avid tennis player at the Lake Shore Country Club, where he was a founding member of the “Regular Irregulars”.

Fred is survived by his wife and partner Ann, of 70 years, his daughter Leslie (Erik), his son Peter (Phyllis), brother Jack (Evelyn), grandchildren Lauren and Danny Ullman and also by Pat Sullivan Ullman. Three generations of nieces, nephews, countless friends and their offspring have been touched and enriched by this special man.

A gathering to celebrate his life will be held at Lake Shore Country Club, 1255 Sheridan Rd., Glencoe, on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 5-8 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to North Shore Hospice at Evanston Hospital, 2650 Ridge Ave., Evanston, IL 60201.