TRYON, NC -- Walter Engels died on March 23rd, 2007 at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center after a brief illness. He was 83.Born on May 3, 1923 in Cologne, Germany, he was trained in Wuppertal, Germany as a mechanical engineer. In 1956, he emigrated from Germany to the United States and settled in Tryon with his wife, Elfriede, and sons Ulrich and Thomas. A daughter, Susanne, was born in 1964.Mr. Engels began his career in the United States with the Bommer Spring Hinge Company in Landrum and joined the Milliken Research Corporation in 1968, where he was employed until his retirement in 1988. His work as a textile and carpet machinery designer resulted in multiple patents from the U.S. Patent Office. After his retirement, he continued to work for Milliken as a consultant into his eighties.He was a member of the Episcopal Church of Holy Cross, where he taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and served as a member of the vestry. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Spartanburg Day School. For a number of years he taught evening classes in engineering at Spartanburg Technical College.Walter Engels is survived by his wife, Elfriede Engels, of Tryon; daughter Susanne Engels Shaw and son-in-law Douglas Shaw of Charlotte; son Thomas and daughter-in-law Wendy Haering Engels of Wellesley, MA, and son Ulrich and daughter-in-law Michele Engels of Acworth, GA, and by his sister, Cristel Hundenborn of Solingen, Germany. He leaves also five grandchildren: Austin and Stephanie Shaw of Charlotte, Sommer Engels of Wellesley; Nichole Engels Hofeldt, who is married to Dr. Matt Hofeldt, of Charleston WV, and Blake Engels and wife Rebecca Engels of Charleston, WV.A memorial service will be held at Holy Cross Church at 3:00PM on Sunday, April 1st, 2007 with Rev. Dr. Michael Doty officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross, P.O. Box 279, Tryon N.C. 28782 or to St. Luke's Hospital, 101 Hospital Drive, Columbus, NC 28722.
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