Joseph Dillhoff III

Joseph H. Dillhoff III, OKI Bering
Joseph Dillhoff III lost his long battle with cancer at the age of 53. Mr. Dillhoff joined OKI Bering in 1986 and worked in operations. He became president in 1993 where he served until his death in February 2010. Mr. Dillhoff believed in giving back to the industry he loved and served on GAWDA’s board of directors in 2006-2007, as well as the finance committee of the American Welding Society. Surviving are his wife, Connie, and their children, Katie and Joseph.

Stephen Earle Harrison

Stephen Earle Harrison, WELSCO
Stephen Earle Harrison, 69, was the owner of WELSCO in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He began working at WELSCO in 1960 and expanded it into a regional company before retiring in 2001. He was also a founder of Airgas. Mr. Harrison was the youngest president of the International Oxygen Manufacturing Association. He served on the board of the National Welding Supply Association (now GAWDA) and the Compressed Gas Association. “My father was a smart businessman and he worked hard to grow the company,” says Angela Harrison, president of WELSCO. “He was my mentor and taught me so many things, instilling in me what a family business really means.”

Marjorie Visintainer Hesketh

Marjorie Visintainer Hesketh, ORCO Welding Supply
Marjorie Visintainer Hesketh, 80, took over ORCO Welding Supply in Birmingham, Alabama, upon the death of her husband Alfred William Visintainer in 1982. She went against the advice of suppliers and decided to keep and run the business with her young family. She believed in taking care of the details and paying close attention to the needs of customers and often said, “If we take care of the customer, the customer will take care of us,” a mission that proved effective during a very difficult business climate. When she sold the company in 1988, it had grown from its 1982 sales of $960,000 to $5.2 million. Mrs. Hesketh is survived by her husband John and children Kim LaMaster, Kathryn Robertson, Ann Willings, William Visintainer, president of Atlas Welding Supply Company, and Patrick Visintainer, executive vice president of Airgas.

John V. Winkle

John V. Winkle, Weldstar Company
John V. Winkle, 71, owner and president of Weldstar Company in Aurora, Illinois, began his career at Weldstar in 1969 and later purchased the company, growing it from sales of $1M to $30M. Working alongside his three sons, J.B., Joseph and Matt, Weldstar was known as a family business where every employee became part of “Wink’s” family. He instituted a profit-sharing plan for all employees, putting everyone on the same page with a shared mission: take care of the customer and make money. Remembered as someone who cared deeply for others, he was involved in service to many local organizations. Mr. Winkle is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carol Crishal, seven children and 25 grandchildren.