John Dirk Flexon

John Dirk Flexon, formerly of Toledo Ohio, died at his home on Hilton Head Island, SC with his family by his side on November14, 2006 after a long battle with pneumonia. He was 83.

In 1943 Flexon completed his degree in chemical engineering and Navy ROTC at Purdue University in a record two years and immediately joined the fight in WWII on board the USS Pitt as Ship’s Engineer. He saw action at Okinawa, Zamami Shima, and Saipan, and many other naval battles in the Pacific.

Upon his return in 1946 he married Phyllis Jean Gould of Toledo and joined Owens Illinois, where he worked for 42 years in glass and the emerging plastics industry. He became the operations manager and chief engineer for the plastic products division. He was responsible for the design of many plastic containers made by Owens Illinois for Proctor and Gamble that we take for take for granted today, such as the self draining Liquid Tide bottle and the Downy Fabric Softener bottle.

In 1974 he opened the Findlay Ohio plastics products division plant. Under his directorship the Findlay plant was the first in the world to successfully develop and implement in-mold labeling and multi-layer blowmolding for plastic containers. At the time of his retirement his Findlay operation was recognized by Proctor and Gamble as “the world’s standard” for plastic container production, and as a model for advanced technology was the “most visited plastic container factory in the world”.

Flexon was predeceased by his wife of 60 years just 40 hours prior to his death. He his survived by three sons, Floyd David Flexon of Ann Arbor, MI, John Dirk Flexon Jr. of Amelia Island FL, Dr. Phillip Billings Flexon of Savannah, GA, and six grandchildren, Rob Flexon, Ashley Flexon Brant, Angelo Flexon, John Dirk Flexon III, Kevin Flexon, and Lauren Flexon.

There will be a memorial reception at TidePointe, 700 TidePointe Way on Hilton Head Island SC, Saturday November 18, 2006 at 3:00 PM in the main clubhouse.

There will be a graveside service for both John and Phyllis Flexon at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo Ohio on Saturday November 25, 2006 at 11:00 AM.

Remembrances may be sent to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cff.org.

Please sign our guestbook online at www.foxandweeks.com.

Fox and Weeks Funeral Directors Hodgson Chapel