Thomas B. Ludlow

Ludlow, Thomas B. 95, of Minneapolis, formerly of Arden Hills, died March 8, 2017. He was born in Worthington, MN, on May 11, 1921, the second of three children born to H. Dwight Ludlow and Genevieve Love Ludlow. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Betty Webster and Jane Kingsley; his wife of 53 years, Shirley Dahl Ludlow; and special friend Rita Stallman. He earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1944. After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy and served as Engineering Officer and later Executive Officer on an LST in the Pacific during World War II. After marrying Shirley in 1946, he started his career in engineering and plastics research working at 3M. While there, he built a house on Lake Johanna, which would be their home until 1997. Later, he was Director of Physical Research for The Bemis Company. In 1963, he founded Johanna Plastics, where he was the inventor and first manufacturer of the key component in personal car battery and antifreeze testers. He and Shirley, his Chief Financial Officer, operated the business until they retired and sold it in 1989. He is survived by daughter Ann and her husband, Richard, of Minneapolis; son John and his wife, Merrily, of Bellevue, WA; son Mark and his wife, Chris, of Costa Mesa, CA; and 8 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 22 at 3:00 p.m. at Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church, where Tom met Shirley in 1944. He sang bass in the choir for 60 years. Memorials should be directed to Compatible Technology International or the Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church Ministry of Music.

Published on March 20, 2017