Alvin Paul Lehnerd of Darlington, MD passed away surrounded by the love of his family on July 1, 2021 at the age of 92. He was the beloved husband of 64 years to Jean Ann (nee McConnell) Lehnerd.
Mr. Lehnerd was born in East Liverpool, Ohio to the late Alvin V. and Barbara C. (nee Simballa) Lehnerd.
He is survived by his sisters, Barbara Amero, Margaret Micco, and Mary Hamrock; his children David Lehnerd, Paul Lehnerd, Susan Lehnerd, John Lehnerd all of the Darlington area and Kate Barton of Colorado; his grandchildren, Joshua Mauldin, Phil Lehnerd, Ryan Etkins, Jay Etkins, and Emily Etkins. Mr. Lehnerd is predeceased by his wife, Jean Ann (nee McConnell) Lehnerd; sister, Katherine (Kay) Wilson; his daughter Rosemary Lehnerd; his granddaughter, Sarah Lehnerd Etkins.
Mr. Lehnerd completed schooling at St. Patrick’s Elementary and Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio. He then joined the USAAF and served the United States in World War II. Returning home from service he attended Ohio University and graduated in 1953 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Mr.
Lehnerd would later further his collegiate education at George Washington University receiving a master’s in engineering administration.
Alvin P. Lehnerd began his professional career at Dupont in Martinsburg, WVA. He then moved on to a Plant Manager role at General Electric receiving their Cordiner award. The firms highest award for employee contributing to the success of the company. Mr. Lehnerd has held executive positions at Black & Decker, Sunbeam, and Steelcase. He has led several well-known developments and innovations resulting in new product successes, including Black & Decker's Dustbuster and the complete redesign on Black & Decker's double insulated consumer power tools, and Sunbeam's first electronic auto-shut off and global iron product lines. Mr. Lehnerd then collaborated with Marc Meyer and published The Power of Product Platforms and consulted with The Shadowstone Group for HP, Lucent Technologies, IBM, P&G, Lutron, Trane, GTE, Steelcase, and many other global companies. He taught at Northeastern University, University of Pennsylvania, and the MIT Sloan School of Management.
More than all his accomplishments in industry and the corporate world, Mr. Lehnerd would have affectionately told you his greatest success was the 64-year long marriage he had to his best friend Jean and the family that grew from it. They traveled the world together accompanying each other to over 14 countries and all over the United States. He stood by his wife providing the highest personal level of care possible until her passing in 2017.
A viewing will be held on July 8, 2021 from 2 to 4 PM and 6 to 8 PM at the Zellman Funeral Home, P.A., 123 South Washington Street, Havre de Grace, MD. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on July 9, 2021 at 9:45 AM at The Church of St. Patrick, 615 Congress Avenue, Havre de Grace, MD.
In lieu of flowers, friends and family may make a memorial contribution to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1893, Memphis, TN 38101-9950 or online at www.stjude.org/donate
Interment to immediately follow funeral at the Deer Creek Harmony Church Cemetery in Darlington, MD.