In Memory
Adams 1948 Earl E Troeger Jr
Aug. 17, 1930 - May 9, 2017
SOUTH BEND - Earl Edward Troeger, Jr., 86, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 9th, 2017, at Memorial Hospital. He was born on August 17th, 1930, in South Bend, to Earl and Esther Troeger. His wife, Connie Lamont Troeger, preceded him in death in 2012, and his two younger brothers, Jack and Tom, preceded him in death this past year.
Earl is survived by his sons, Jeffry Kenneth Troeger, and wife, Susan (Mizen) of Steamboat Springs, CO, and their children, Chris and Matt; Thomas Lamont Troeger and wife, Libby (Dora) of Fishers, IN, and their children, Chad, Brett, Wade and Aubrey; and David Bruce Troeger and wife, Christine (Rhodes) of Evergreen, CO, and their children, Carly and Lauren. Earl was blessed to spend the last four years of his life with partner, Jo Green Knoop.
Earl grew up in South Bend, attending McKinley and Jefferson Schools. He graduated from John Adams High School in 1948. Earl graduated in 1952 from Purdue University with a degree in Physical Education. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity and played football for Purdue. After college, Earl enlisted in the U.S. Army where he was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, from 1952-54. Earl served as the football coach at Ft. Riley.
Earl's entire business career was spent at Andrew Troeger and Company. Better known as Troeger Sheet Metal, the business served the Michiana area from 1906. Earl was a member of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA). He was involved in many civic organizations including the South Bend Rotary, South Bend Turners, the Elks Club, the Boy Scouts, Indian Guides, the Purdue Alumni Association, and the John Purdue Club. Earl and Connie were former members of the Morris Park Country Club.
Outside spending time with his wife, three sons and eight grandchildren, Birch Lake was the love of Earl's life. Along with his brothers and parents, Earl hand-built their cottage in the mid-1940s, including actually cutting in the road to the cottage. It was there where Earl picked up sailing and formed the Birch Lake sailing fleet, in particular, the racing of the “Snipe” sailboat class. Earl served numerous years as Commodore at the Birch Lake Yacht Club, in addition to the nearby Diamond Lake Yacht Club. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Sunfish and MC's class sailing fleets at Birch. Along with his three sons, Earl spent decades racing sailboats at Birch, Diamond and many regatta sites throughout the Midwest. Earl's sailing success included winning the United States and World Points Championship in 1965 in the Snipe Class International Racing Association (SCIRA). He also served as the District 3 Commodore for SCIRA.
In the winters, Earl loved snow skiing and shared his passion with his family where all three boys learned to ski at a very young age at Mt. Wawasee in Indiana, “Little Switzerland” (later becoming Swiss Valley) and numerous other Michigan resorts, including Caberfae and Boyne. In 1968 Earl took his family, for the first time, to the mountains of Colorado where they skied the resorts of Winter Park and Vail. That started a family love for Colorado that turned into family residences for two of the sons, Jeff and David, who raised their families in the mountains.
Most will remember Earl as simple, sweet and without an enemy in the world. Many in the Michiana area were exposed to learning how to sail or ski through Earl. In addition, he loved his alma mater, Purdue University, and cheering for his Boilers in football and basketball.
The family will be forever indebted to Jo Knoop for the friendship, companionship, love, joy and quality of life she gave Earl in his last years.
A visitation will be held at Welsheimer Family Funeral Home North, 17033 Cleveland Road, South Bend, from 4 until 7 PM on Friday, May 12th. A funeral service will be held at Welsheimer North Funeral Home at 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 13th. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, 375 West Cleveland Rd.
Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor's choice .
Family and friends may leave email condolences at www.welsheimer.com.
Published in South Bend Tribune on May 11, 2017
Edit jmc 12 may 2017
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