John E. Herwig

John Erich Herwig was a highly regarded mechanical engineer of escalators and elevators, former Senior Vice President Marketing and Engineering, General Elevator Company, Inc. and former Chairman of the Board, President of the National Association of Elevator Contractors, and recipient of the William C. Sturgeon - 1996 Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of Elevator Contractors, the association’s highest honor.

Beloved son of John Erich Herwig, from Frankenberg, Germany, and Carrie Kulinski a native- born American with a mother from Poland and father from Prussia. His parents met while his father was serving on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, the Apache, while it was stationed in Fells Point. John was the youngest of five brothers, the late Carl, Bernard, Albert and Raymond Herwig.

He married his wife of 65 years, Margaret Mary Wiegmann, on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1951, at Saint Elizabeth’s Church. A reception was held at the Eichenkranz restaurant in Highlandtown followed by a honeymoon in New York City. They had three loving children: Paula Herwig Schaffer, Ann Herwig Manion and the late Kurt John Herwig. The family were long-time residents of Phoenix, Maryland, members of St. John the Evangelist Church, Hydes, and Hillendale Country Club. In later life, he split residency between Towson, Maryland and Ocean City, Maryland where he enjoyed boating and the surf.

John attended Saint Elizabeth’s Parochial School and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute where he graduated from in 1946. After graduation, he began his 50 year career at General Elevator Company as First Junior Draftsman at 24 cents per hour. In 1949, during the Korean War, the U.S. Navy wanted to fly jet aircraft on existing carriers and contracted General Elevator to design hangar doors for the aircraft carriers. John was chosen and was in charge of engineering and fabrication. This delayed his Army draft notice by one year. A veteran of the Korean War, in July, 1951 John enlisted in the Army Security Agency for three years where he was assigned to Logistics and Engineering. He also designed a new operator’s console to house communications equipment; 3500 were manufactured and sent around the world.

In 1954, he returned to General Elevator where he worked until his retirement in 1996. During his career he was responsible for the engineering function of all major modernizations and major new elevator and escalator installation projects planned by General Elevator, Co. and its branch offices. His responsibilities included the quality control of elevator equipment manufactured by General Elevator Co., Inc and equipment purchased for General Elevator Co. In the last three years before retirement, the largest elevator and escalator projects in Baltimore, Md, were bid and executed by John Herwig. The Veterans Hospital, Baltimore: escalators; passenger and freight elevators and dumbwaiters; The John Hopkins Hospital Subway: twelve escalators 100 ft. under North Broadway, two all glass passenger elevators; Baltimore Aquarium: design and installation of moving walkways and elevators. In retirement, he continued to consult for Cornelius Fitzgerald & Co., Inc. and General Elevator Co., Inc.

Mr. Herwig served many industry associations: National Elevator Industry, Inc, Central Code Committee Member and Chairman (1992-1994), American Society of Mechanical Engineers, National Interest Review Committee, American National Standards Institute Standards Committee for the Handicapped where he designed the plates that are currently used in elevators to be handicapped-accessible, Board of Directors National Association of Elevator Contractors (1988-1993) Chairman of the Board, President, National Association of Elevator Contractors (1990-1991), 1996 Campaign Chairman Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation.

John is survived by his loving wife, Margaret Mary Herwig; two daughters: Paula Marie Schaffer and Ann Herwig Manion; 4 grandchildren: Jennifer Schaffer-Alvis, Kurt, Grace and Peter Manion; 4 great-grandchildren: Taylor-Marie, Christian and Tucker Pierson, and Ashton Alvis; and his many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at the Lemmon Funeral Home of Dulaney Valley, Inc., 10 W. Padonia Road (at York Rd) Timonium, Maryland 21093 on Sunday, April 9, 2017 from 1 pm to 5 pm.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the St. John The Evangelist Church, 13305 Long Green Pike, Hydes, MD 21082 on Monday, April 10, 2017 at 10:30 am. Interment St. John The Evangelist Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed in Mr. Herwig’s memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 and/or Gilchrist Hospice Care, 11311 McCormick Road, Suite 350, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030.

A guest register is available at: www.lemmonfuneralhome.com