The family and friends of Glenn Jorn mourn his passing on May 7, 2022. His was life fully lived. He leaves all of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchild enriched by his stories, wisdom and love he gave to each and every one of them.
The son of Frederick and Augusta Jorn, who immigrated from Denmark, Glenn was born on January 11, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in Ann Arbor, and like many, entered the University of Michigan to study Engineering. His education was interrupted by WWII, when he enlisted in 1943 at age 18. He served as a Scout in the 3rd Battalion 276th Infantry. He saw heated and terrible action in the Vosges Mountain campaign in 1944. Glenn landed in Marseilles, attached to the command of Patch Adams, marched to the Vosges Mountains where he fought in the battle of Colmar Pocket. He was awarded the American Theater Ribbon, EAMA and Theater Ribbon with 2 Bronze Stars.
His mother, Augusta, was an accomplished ice skater and tennis player, and father a champion at the U.S. Olympic trials in swimming, but Glenn’s lifelong passion was golf. He won multiple awards at the Stockbridge Country Club, the nation’s oldest invitational. After the war, Glenn enrolled at Montana State University, where he met his future wife Barbara Chesney. Glenn popped the question to his sweetheart Barbara in 1948 while his head was stuck in the engine of his old Packard — “so you want to get married, kid?” While that might not have been the most romantic proposal, he made up for it by sending her roses on the anniversary of their first date for the next 68 years.
In 1964, Glenn joined his old SAE fraternity brother, Bob Henderson, at Beloit Corp Jones Division in Dalton. Glenn advanced to Vice President of Sales at Jones. He loved his years in the Berkshires, where he played many a golf game, was active in the First Congregational Church in Dalton, worked on antiques and finishing the basement. The basement project took an unusually long time and may have been related to needing time away from the three females in the house. (Todd was away at school.) His daughters teased him, accusing him of actually doing nothing in the basement except smoking his cigar and hitting the wall with a hammer once in a while. In 1978, Glenn’s long career in the pulp and paper machinery business took him to Atlanta, Georgia, where he became President of the U.S. operations of SW Hooper Corp. In 1982, he was courted by KMW Corp of Charlotte, North Carolina, where Glenn took the position of CEO.
In 1998, after his retirement Glenn and Barb returned to their beloved Berkshires. Their last years together were filled with love of the Berkshire community. Glenn treasured his days at the Stockbridge Golf Club, where he was a member of the Sweater Club, only reluctantly retiring from the game when he was 93. Glenn lived out the remainder of his days living for the most part independently at Kimball Farms in Lenox. He deeply appreciated his caregivers and led many on a merry chase with his sarcasm and dry humor. We know they all will miss him and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for all the support and love they gave him.
Glenn was predeceased by his wife Barbara and sister Elsie Talbot. He leaves behind his son Todd C. Jorn, his daughters Amy J. Satterfield (James) and Ann C. Kronick (Charles), granddaughters Chesney, Alexandra and Eliza Jorn, grandsons Andrew (Allie) and Charles Satterfield and great-granddaughter Lyla Satterfield. He also leaves his sister-in-law Mrs. Morris (Mary) Embleton, Great Falls, Montana, and niece and nephew Fred and Donna Jorn of Ann Arbor, Michigan. All of us he leaves behind, wish we had just one more chance to say to him what a remarkable human being he was. He touched all of our lives and we love and cherish him. May God greet him with a smile and a warm embrace of welcome.
Graveside services will be held at Mountain View Cemetery, Lenox, May 29 at 1:30 p.m., with reception to follow at Church on the Hill Chapel.
