INDUSTRY FACES
Industry Leader Remembered for Compassion, Quick Thinking During a metalcast-
ing conference five years ago, Gene Muratore was among a group of attend- ees that waited in vain for a bus to take them to a plant tour. The trip, part of an event hosted by the Ductile Iron Society (DIS), Strongsville, Ohio, was not ruined, though. The group might have been in Montreal, Canada, but DIS Director John “Jack” Hall somehow found a limousine to provide transportation, ac- cording to Muratore. Hall’s ability to think
fast on his feet, his at- tention to detail and his consideration for others’ comfort were trademarks of his 17-year stint as DIS director, said Muratore, Rio Tinto Iron and Tita- nium America, Chicago. “He was just a classy
dated later that same year and spent his career there, eventually becoming vice president. In 1990, he became the third executive director of DIS and held the title until his retire- ment in 2007. Hall earned an Outstanding Service award from the group in 1996. Hall was known for meticulously planning activity-filled conferences, Muratore said, from mak- ing hotel reservations to lining up speakers. Hall’s wife of 53 years, Clare, often helped by printing visitor badges for facility tours and doing other tasks. A member of the Ameri-
John Hall presides over a Ductile Iron Society (DIS) meeting. He served as the third director of DIS for 17 years, taking on the position in 1990.
guy,” Muratore said. “He was a very caring individual.” And Hall will be sorely missed, he
added. Hall died on May 29 in Cleve- land, Ohio, at the age of 75. Born in Erie, Pa., in 1936, Hall
PERSONALS Precision Metalsmiths, Cleve-
land, announced it has named James Racco its new president. He replaces retiring president Jerry Kovatch, who served for 48 years. Racco comes from Alabama Metal Industries, Birmingham, Ala.
Stephen Jenkins was named a plant manager at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations at General Motors, Saginaw, Mich. He earned the position after 24 years with GM.
Twin City Die Castings, Min-
neapolis, promoted Greg Hansen to president, and Todd Olson became executive vice president.
OBITUARIES Larry Kettlewell, Waupaca, Wis.,
a longtime metalcaster, died on Nov. 26, 2010, at the age of 57, according to local reports. Kettlewell worked for 38 years at ThyssenKrupp Wau- paca, Waupaca, Wis.
James Johnson, who worked for
several Ford facilities during his career, died on Dec. 27, 2010, in Gladstone, Mich., according to local reports. He was 83. Johnson gradu- ated from the Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1951 with a degree in economics. In 1954,
he was hired by Ford to work in the company’s Engine and Foundry Division, Dearborn, Mich. From 1967 to 1968, Johnson was controller at the Windsor Casting Plant, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In 1968, Johnson became a controller at the Cleveland Casting Plant, Cleveland, until he retired in 1989.
Richard Hansen, 74, died on Jan. 1 in Manitowoc, Wis., according to local reports. He worked for more than 35 years at Eck Industries, Manitowoc, Wis., until he retired in 2000. Hansen was born on Sept. 16, 1936, in Two Rivers, Wis.
July 2011 MODERN CASTING | 15
graduated from high school in 1954 and received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1960 from the Univ. of Cincinnati. Hall joined Larson Consoli-
can Foundry Society (AFS) since 1959, Hall served as a Director Class of 1988 and lectured at AFS confer- ences and other industry events. Hall was also active in the Iron Castings Society, National Foundry Associa-
tion, Non-Ferrous Founders Society, Steel Founders Society of America, the American Society of Mechani- cal Engineers and the Iron Casting Research Institute.
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