Werner H. Wodtke

WODTKE, WERNER H. Age 93. November 6, 2023. Beloved husband of Irmgard. Loving Papa of Janet (Randall) Snoeyink, Steven (Lisa) Wodtke & Kevin Wodtke. Proud Opa of Erika Snoeyink, Brent Wodtke, Nicholas (Carisa) Wodtke, Kurt Wodtke, Christian Wodtke & Morgan Wodtke. Dearest brother of the late Guenther Wodtke. Werner was a member of the National Machine Tool Builders Association and also had a longtime involvement with both the Carpathia Club & the German American Cultural Center. Visitation Sunday 2-8pm with 6:30pm Sharing of Memories and 7:00pm Scripture Service at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons 54880 Van Dyke at 25 Mile (SHELBY TOWNSHIP). Funeral Monday Instate 9:30am at St. Therese of Lisieux Church 48115 Schoenherr (btw. 21 & 22 Mile Rds.) until time of Mass at 10:00am. Donations are welcome to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen or the American Cancer Society. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Share memories with the family at their "On Line Guest Book" @ WujekCalcaterra.com. Werner was born in Danzig, Germany, and married Irmgard Bobak on May 4, 1957. He and his parents fled Danzig from the Russians shortly before the end of World War II, seeking refuge in Copenhagen, Denmark (under British occupation). Initially they were unable to all flee together. Werner's older brother, and only sibling, fought as a German soldier and sadly went missing in action in Monte Cassino, Italy. Werner, then 15 years old, and his mother became refugees and spent 38 months in an internment camp. While there, he was forced to work outside the camp repairing British Navy mine sweeping equipment and unloading ships. One day by the grace of God, Werner was reunited with his father on those very docks bringing the family back together. Werner learned survival skills, including creative bartering, exchanging cargo for valuable wartime commodities such as cigarettes and coffee in return for better living conditions within the camp. After 38 long months of determination and survival, Werner and his family secured exit visas and travelled by ship to the U.S. with the help of their Danish relatives. Werner settled in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 18 and began rebuilding his life. Speaking only broken English and with no training or specific skills, he found employment as a machine operator at a tool shop and enrolled in Radio Electronic Television School. In September 1951, Uncle Sam called him to active duty in the Korean War. While serving in the US Army, Werner excelled in Basic Training and Radar School and was selected to work under Wernher Von Braun, the father of the U.S. Space Program, in Huntsville, Alabama. However, as he was not an American citizen, he was denied top security clearance and sent back to teach at Radar School at the Army base in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, until his honorable discharge in 1953. Shortly thereafter, his service in the Army allowed him the privilege of becoming a U.S. citizen. Werner then found employment at Chrysler's brand-new missile division in Troy, Michigan, as a civilian liaison to the Huntsville operation. He worked on the Redstone surface-to-surface missile program, but when Chrysler lost the contract, he found new employment marketing electronic equipment. His skills and determination caught the attention of a German machine tool business, Hegenscheidt, leading to the next chapter in his career. Hegenscheidt, a manufacturer of specialized machine tools for the automotive and railroad industries, offered Werner a position as their General Manager kicking off what would be a very successful 20-year career with them. He helped grow the business to over 50 employees and eventually became General Manager and Vice President of Hegenscheidt U.S. When Werner wished to retire, Hegenscheidt (not wanting to lose his extensive knowledge and contacts) persuaded him to stay on as an independent marketing consultant for their railroad transit product line. He incorporated his own company, WHW Marketing, and continued to consult for Hegenscheidt. Despite starting his life in the U.S. as an 18-year-old immigrant with limited education and not fluent in English, Werner propelled himself into a very long, successful and fulfilling career, retiring at the age of 76. Werner met his future wife, Irmgard, through a German club social event shortly after leaving the Army in 1953. They courted for four years before marrying in May 1957 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Detroit. Their loving marriage lasted 66 years and was blessed with three children and six grandchildren. Though his work was demanding, Irmgard, his loving and devoted wife, was the perfect partner. Irmgard provided support at home during Werner's extended global business travel, managing the home front and raising their three successful children. Werner and Irmgard enjoyed a very active life together traveling the world, spending time together as a family and hosting friends and loved ones on holidays and special occasions. His successful career provided them with annual adventures to many European countries. Their love of travel emanated from attending numerous National Machine Tool Builder Association conferences at exclusive hotel properties. And while that time with Irmgard was treasured, Werner also made it a point to take the entire family on numerous trips, both abroad and stateside. These family vacations created cherished memories that would last a lifetime. Travel brought Werner a great deal including a passion for law enforcement patches. His outgoing, charismatic personality allowed him to easily barter and trade patches from many agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Sometimes, his keen ability for on-the-spot negotiations led to the voluntary removal of a patch right off the officer’s uniform! Aside from travel, Werner also enjoyed coin and stamp collecting and in his later years, he became interested in gardening, growing vegetables and becoming well known in his neighborhood for his yearly crop of 8-foot-tall sunflowers! Werner had few serious medical issues until he was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, resulting in a mastectomy. Sadly, his hobbies and love of gardening were sidelined by the onset of metastatic breast cancer in August 2021. Subsequently, he was placed on a series of cancer medication therapies, fighting a hard and valiant battle. Though Werner is no longer able to tend to his earthly garden, we know that he has been welcomed into the Lord's heavenly garden.

Werner H. Wodtke

February 13, 1930 - November 6, 2023