Otto Henry Jung of Sheboygan and Elkhart Lake passed away on Wednesday,
August 19, 2020, at the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice. He was 87.
The cause of death was complications from a fall precipitated by cardiac arrest.
Otto Henry, the first of four children of Otto Alfred and Silvia Vande Loo Jung, was
born July 23, 1933, in Sheboygan.
He attended Lincoln Elementary School and graduated from Central High School
in 1951. He participated in golf, intramural basketball and football, and All
School Night. Henry maintained his high school friendships through his lifetime,
and in recent years thoroughly enjoyed helping coordinate several class reunions.
At Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Henry earned his B.S. degree in Economics
from the School of Business, graduating in 1955. He played varsity golf and was a
member of Beta Theta Pi, serving as fraternity treasurer. In his senior year at
Miami, Henry became engaged to Eleanor Andrews.
Following graduation Henry volunteered for the draft and joined the U S. Army.
He served in Korea from 1955-1957. He took advantage of his location in the
world and used his furloughs to visit several countries in the Far East, as well as
Australia during the 1956 Olympics. His golf coach at Miami had a role in that
event and provided Henry with an official participant's jacket, enabling him easy
access to events.
On June 15, 1957, Otto Henry Jung and Eleanor Andrews were married at
Lakewood Congregational Church in Lakewood, Ohio. When two Miami graduates
wed, they become a Miami Merger. They settled in Sheboygan and began their
lives together, soon becoming part of the life of their community.
They were blessed with two sons – Otto Andrew Jung and Thomas John Jung.
Their lives as a family were enriched by the schools they attended, First Methodist
church, the YMCA, and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Henry joined his father and uncle, Edgar Jung, at the Jung Shoe Manufacturing
Co. where he led the Sales Department. He was named president upon the death
of his father. His leadership in the shoe business extended beyond Sheboygan; he
served as Director and Regional Vice President of the Footwear Industries of
America, and Chairman of an International Footwear Manufacturing Conference.
Henry was a lifelong member of St. Luke United Methodist Church. He served in
many leadership positions – chairing the Council of Ministries, Finance Committee,
and Administrative Board; he served on the Stewardship Committee for 28 years
and led three very successful fund-raising campaigns. More recently Henry was
especially pleased to research and oversee the preservation of the stained-glass
windows.
He served on the United Way Board of Directors as president, was chairman of
the 1972 County Campaign and served on their capital development committee
for the new building in 1979. Both campaigns exceeded stated goals.
Henry was awarded the Sheboygan County Lifetime Volunteer award sponsored
by the United Way in 2018.
Henry chaired the Capital Development Campaign in 1980 for the Sheboygan
Rehabilitation Center and served on their Board of Directors. He was a Director
for their Endowment. The Jung Shoe Mfg. Co. was one of the first local industries
to hire the Rehabilitation Center clients for special contract jobs.
After the sale and eventual closing of the Jung Shoe Mfg. Co., Henry turned to his
alma mater, Miami University, and joined their Development Office as Director of
University Gifts. From 1985-1998 he traveled extensively calling on alumni and
organizing events. He was a director of the university's Business Advisory
Council. He retired in 1998 and returned to Sheboygan.
It did not take long for Henry to re-engage and re-connect to his hometown. He
served briefly as a consultant at Lakeland College, then turned his attention to
the YMCA and joined the staff in 2000 as Director of Development, serving in that
capacity until his third retirement in 2019.
Henry's connection to the Y began when he was seven years old and lived in the
neighborhood of the “old Y” at 7 th and Ontario. As newlyweds he and his wife were
advisors to the Tri Hi-Y group, overseeing Friday night dances at the Y Dugout. He
was a long-time member of the Sheboygan Y's Men's Club, and established
lifelong friendships with the men who gathered weekly over dinner at the Y,
planning projects like broom sales and Christmas tree sales to benefit the Y.
He was president of the Y's Men's Club, then District Governor when he received
the prestigious Elmer Crowe Award twice; he was a Regional Director, an
International Director, and served on the International Council.
For the Sheboygan County YMCA, Henry served on the Board of Directors of the
Sheboygan County YMCA, on the Regional Board of YMCA, and the National Board
of YMCA. He served as campaign chairman for four major campaigns. All
campaigns exceeded their goals.
Henry's respect and appreciation for family and community history ran deep. He
grew up surrounded by family traditions and aunts and uncles and cousins, all
descended from great-grandfather Jacob Jung who had emigrated from Germany
to Sheboygan in 1852.
The Sheboygan County Historical Museum invited him to join their Board. He
served as president and focused on his special interest – programs. He
introduced and developed the successful Third Saturday series which brought
many new visitors to the Museum.
Henry was a lifetime member of the Elkhart Lake Improvement Association and
served as president and treasurer for many years. The cottage at Elkhart has
been an integral part of the lives of four generations of the Jung family for
summer fun and July birthday celebrations.
One of Henry's favorite experiences was his 17-year participation in Junior
Achievement, teaching classes on Economics for Success, at St. Elizabeth Ann
Seton, introducing elementary school students to the concepts of personal
finances and budgets.
For the City of Sheboygan Henry served on the Police and Fire Commission and
on the Capital Improvements Committee
He co-chaired the National Day of Prayer for many years. He played a key role in
the fund raising for the Encompass sculpture at the center of the Rotary circle
drive. He served as a Director at Citizens Bank and Director of Wisconsin
Manufacturers Association.
Henry received the Rotary Good Citizen award in 2016 for “Service above Self.”
Throughout their 63 years of marriage, Henry also supported his wife in her
community endeavors.
Henry is survived by his wife Eleanor, his son Thomas John Jung of Provincetown,
Massachusetts, his granddaughter Claire Bremer Jung and her fiancé Joseph
Germaine, Providence, Rhode Island; grandson Otto Andrew Jung, Jr., Kalamazoo,
Michigan; his brother Michael Jung and sister-in-law Marilyn of Granville, Ohio;
his sister Elizabeth Talley and brother-in-law John of Yorba Linda, California; his
sister Virginia Bench of Salem, South Carolina; and numerous nieces and
nephews. He was preceded in death by his son Otto Andrew Jung, his parents
Otto and Silvia Jung, his brothers-in-law James Bench and John Edward Andrews,
and his mother and father-in-law James and Eloise Andrews.
Because of the restrictions on gathering due to COVID-19 there will be no funeral
service at this time. A funeral and memorial is planned for Henry's birthday, July
23, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, friends may wish to contribute to the organizations he
supported in this community: Sheboygan County YMCA, 812 Broughton Drive,
St. Luke United Methodist Church, 623 Ontario Avenue, or the Sheboygan County
Historical Museum, 3110 Erie Avenue.
The family is deeply grateful for the service of the Sheboygan Fire Department,
the Aurora Medical Center in Grafton and the Sharon S. Richardson Community
Hospice for their conscientious service and care.
Henry's parting words to his wife and son were, “Life is good.”
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