Glenn James Willett, age 95, of Upper Arlington, Ohio, entered the gates of heaven peacefully on September 16, 2024, with his loving family at his side. Born in Covington, KY on September 12, 1929, to Mary (Hoppenjans) and Maxwell Willett and graduated from Covington Catholic High School in 1947 where he excelled in academics, basketball, boxing, and concert piano. Glenn served four years in the United States Air Force stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base in California, honorably discharged December 8, 1954. He was a devoted husband, loving father, and friend to all. He had a passion for international travel and residential property development transforming farmland into single-family homes.
Glenn was a salesman at IBM for 35 years as an Advisory Representative to the Legal Industry and awarded many distinctions including 27 One-Hundred Percent Clubs and 16 Golden Circles; retiring on February 1, 1991, at the age of 61. Glenn did not allow retirement to slow him down. Life was just taking shape for him as he learned to snow ski at the age of 79, flew from the treetops on an Alaskan Canopy Zip Line at 80, and took up fly fishing at age 82. Glenn had a competitive spirit coaching grade-school basketball and designing pinewood derby cars with his six sons where he had a knack for “taking home the gold”. He is best remembered for his philanthropic acts of kindness and generous donations to Bishop Watterson High School, St. Andrews Parish, Covington Catholic High School, St Lawrence Haven Soup Kitchen, Global Volunteers, Global Citizens Network, and Habitat for Humanities. His proudest accomplishment was his involvement in “Be The Change Volunteers”, a nonprofit organization serving to advance the educational opportunities of children in underserved parts of the world where he worked as a volunteer in such places as Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, New Zealand, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Nepal, Peru, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent’s, Guatemala, and Jamaica.
He was preceded in death by his spouse of 53 years, Eugena Helen “Jeanne” (Ferkenhoff) (February 26, 2007), married in Batesville, IN on June 27, 1953. Also proceeded in death by his daughter Paula (John) Steller and his siblings Roger, Richard, Keith, and Patricia Hill. He is survived by his 10 children Douglas, Beth (Greg) Sheumaker, Pamela Ernst, Cynthia Harless, Brett, Bradley, Dean (Debra), Darryl (Jennifer), Craig (Elizabeth), and Tanya; 24 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
The family would like to extend a special acknowledgment of gratitude to our friends at The Danbury Assisted Living Facility and Capital City Hospice.
Funeral arrangements will be held at Schoedinger Northwest Chapel 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221 with calling hours on September 27, 2024, at 4-6 pm. A Catholic mass celebration will be held at St. Andrew Catholic Church 1899 McCoy Road, Columbus, Ohio 43220 on September 28, 2024, at 10:30 am.
In lieu of flowers, Glenn would have preferred donations in his honor be made to:
“Be The Change Volunteers” at www.bethechangevolunteers.org (503 E. Nifong #230 Columbia, Missouri 65201) or to the St. Vincent DePaul Society (197 E. Gay Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215)
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