William Max Nonnamaker

William Max Nonnamaker, 83, died July 24, 2012.

A native of Findlay, Ohio, he joined the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company after graduating from The University of Findlay. He was in the Research and Development Department at Firestone where he became a junior project engineer. His most significant patent was the rubber stemmed tubeless valve that is still a standard today for passenger tires and wheels which he assigned to Firestone. He joined the Mohawk Rubber Company as Manager of Tire Engineering, became Technical Sales Director, Manager of Truck Tire Sales and eventually Manager of National Account Sales, where he secured and developed the Sears & Roebuck account. He was employed by the Wright Tool & Forge Company as an Assistant to the President before becoming Vice President of Sales. At Smithers Scientific Services he was Vice President of Operations. In November 1973, he formed Nonnamaker and Associates, Inc., an independent tire consultant firm.

At The University of Findlay, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees, President of the Board of Governors, recipient of The Findlay College Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award, also the Distinguished Associates Award by the Associates of Findlay College, was inducted into the Findlay College Sports Hall of Fame and was a member of the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges Hall of Excellence in 1987.

He was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, the Portage Country Club, the Akron City Club and was active in the Ohio Ballet and the Greater Akron Music Association, where he was a member of the Board for many years.

Max was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara in 2001; brothers, John and Leland; sisters, Marie Dukes and Kathryn Merritt; and a niece. He is survived by two sisters-in-law, Marie Nonnamaker of Canal Fulton, Ohio and Lenna Nonnamaker of Sarasota, Fla.; brother-in-law, Rev. Joseph Purdy; four nieces; five nephews; numerous great-nieces and nephews; great-great-nieces and nephews; and Barbara's six nieces and four nephews.

Services will be held 3 p.m. MONDAY, July 30th at the Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd., with Rev. Derek Starr Redwine officiating. Interment at Rose Hill Burial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday. Memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1250 W. Exchange St., Akron, Ohio 44313; Akron General Development Foundation, Hospice Fund, 400 Wabash Ave., Akron, Ohio 44307; or the William Max and Barbara Ann Nonnamaker Scholarship Endowment Fund, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840-3653.

(Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)