ALLEN GUENTZEL

Allen Damm Guentzel, age 99, of Neenah, passed away on Monday evening, March 19, 2012 at Theda Clark Medical Center. Allen was born July 1, 1912, the son of the late Emil W. and Caroline E. (Damm) Guentzel, of Boscobel, Wisconsin. Throughout his life, Al was known for his quick wit and as being a people person. He had a lifelong interest in people, learning, encouraging, and helping others. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While at the University he was named a member of Iron Cross, a Senior Mens Honor Society which recognizes students who have improved the campus community through their leadership and service. On September 14, 1940 he married Marjorie R. Blunck of Oak Park, Illinois. She preceded him in death in 1996. Allen was employed by Kimberly-Clark Corporation for 40 years in the fields of Employee Relations and Labor Relations. His employment was interrupted while he served as a Navy Personnel Officer in the Pacific and Stateside during World War II. During his Kimberly Clark employment he and his family lived in Niagara, Wisconsin; Niagara Falls, New York; and Memphis, Tennessee before moving to Neenah in 1955. He retired in 1977 as Director of Employee Relations, Corporate Staff. After retirement from Kimberly Clark he served for 17 years as Executive in Residence in the College of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. At UW-Oshkosh Al was dedicated to helping bring the real world into the classroom and the classroom into the real world. He served on the Chancellors Council of Advisors, the Advisory Board of the College of Business Administration, and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Foundation Board. He was awarded the Chancellors Medallion in 1981 and was the 1980 Honorary Initiate in Beta Gamma Sigma. In 1998 he received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in recognition of his many contributions there and to the UW System. Al was involved in business and community activities and in civic organizations in each of the communities in which he lived. He was an active 57-year member of the First Presbyterian Church in Neenah, where he served as both a Deacon and an Elder. Survivors include his daughter, Marjorie Lynn (Guentzel) Karges, and Son-in-Law, Steven B. Karges, and a Granddaughter, Kimberly Ann Karges, all of Janesville, Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie, his parents, two sisters, and two brothers. The Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church with The Reverend Richard J. Moore officiating. Memorials may be made to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh School of Business Administration, the American Cancer Society, or First Presbyterian Church. Westgor Funeral Home