BACHMANN, Henry

BACHMANN,

Henry Caspar

Born on December 21, 1927, in Glarus, Switzerland, quietly passed on October 17, 2021, in Worthington, Ohio, in the presence of his two sons, Brad and Gregg, and Gregg's wife, Sue. He was known as Hank to his numerous friends, Opa to his five grandchildren, Henry or Heierli to his Swiss parents and family, and of course, Dad. Hank had an unshakable and infectious optimism and a trademark smile. He was genuinely excited to see you and share life's stories. All celebratory occasions were typically met with a fine meal and a toast with a nice German beer, maybe a glass or two of pinot noir, and a lot of jazz music, usually his favorite, Oscar Peterson. But, Hank was much, much more. He drew inspiration from a love of God through devotion to Christian Science, which helped him conquer challenges and thwart anything that clung to fear's anchor. Hank's inspiration was contagious. That strength was rooted in childhood, as an immigrant boy of working-class Swiss parents whose mother was a devout Christian Science church counselor. Not wanting to be the only one among his friends in Detroit not to serve in the armed forces, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946 and served in Omiya, Japan, designing and supervising post-war reconstruction housing in that war-torn country. He then used the G.I. Bill to attend college at Bowling Green State University from which he graduated in 1951. There, he met the love of his life, the perfect mate in a girl named

Winnie Lundy from Wheeling, West Virginia. They embarked on a loving 44-year journey until her passing in 1997. Along the way, they raised two fine, generally upstanding boys. Hank's life's work was in the precision machine business–first as president of Enterprise Machine Products serving the automotive and heavy manufacturing industries in Mount Clemens, Michigan and then moving to Dayton, Ohio, to serve the metal beverage container industry as President of Dayton Reliable Tool and finally as founder of Dayton Systems Group. Hank traveled the world in business—across Europe, Australia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, China, Indonesia, and Japan–where his friendships reached across all cultures. Apart from church and business, Hank was above all devoted to family. His grandchildren—Molly, Gracie, and Sam (Gregg and Sue) and Courtney and Jack (Brad and Vicki)—provided infinite joy,

always kindling his interest in their life journeys from little person shenanigans, assorted activities, and career pursuits. Hank's story is dynamic, rich, fulfilling. He was – in his own way – angelic. It was an amazing journey. Predeceasing Hank were his mother, Margaret Bachmann (1978), father, Henry Bachmann (1984), and sister, Margaret (2015). Services for Hank will be held on Thursday, October 21 starting at 1:00 p.m. at the TOBIAS FUNERAL HOME-FAR HILLS CHAPEL, 5471 Far Hills Ave. at Rahn Rd. Dayton, OH, Ohio 45429. Donations may be made to the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 533 East First Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402.

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www.tobiasfuneral home.com