Dr. Dean T. Langford

Dr. Dean T. Langford, 83, passed away Wednesday, October 13th,

2021 at his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He was born June

19th, 1939 in Princeton, Illinois. He grew up in Walnut, Illinois. Dean

graduated first in his class from Walnut High School.

Dr. Langford graduated from the University of Illinois with Bachelor

degrees in Mathematics & Aeronautical Engineering in 1962. Dean

was a scholarship recipient for athletics. Dean’s baseball scholarship

fully financed his education at the University of Illinois. He was

awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters by Salem State

College in Salem, Mass in 1989. His charitable donations and

involvement both personally and professionally helped catapult

Salem State to University status partially due to a hiring program he

implemented while serving as the longest running CEO and President

of Osram Sylvania. The Bertolon School of Business and 3 residence

complexes of Salem State University are located on the site of a

former lightbulb factory of GTE Co.

After graduation, Dean moved to the greater Chicago area, where he

became a computer salesman for IBM. After a 20 year career with

IBM ending in the role, Director of Advertising, he went on to become

the VP of Marketing of GTE Communications Products Groups,

Stamford CT, 1983-1984. He quickly made an impression and was

named Vice President of marketing on the GTE Diversified Products

staff, in Danvers, MA, in January 1984. He held that role until 1993

when he assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of

the German company Osram Sylvania Inc. 1993, until 2002. When he

retired in 2002 he continued on the Board of Directors for Osram

Sylvania. During his time at Osram, he was very active in the Alliance

to save Energy and was honored by the Alliance for his leadership in

the pursuit of energy efficient lighting for home and commerce. He

remained a Chair emeritus with the Alliance. He spearheaded the

pursuit of energy efficient lighting as the century was ending.

Contributions to the community were a cornerstone of Deans life. He

was on the board of directors of numerous entities including Osram

Sylvania Inc., The national Association of Manufacturers, National

Electrical Manufacturing Association, The Corporation of

Massachusetts Hospital, the University of Illinois Alumni

Association, the National Parks Association, Salem country Club, Las

Companas Country Club, Marsh Landing Country Club and Sawgrass

Country Club to name a few. He was on the advisory Council for

Engineering College at the University of Illinois, was a trustee of the

Civic Education Foundation and was on the governing board of the

Lincoln Filene Center at Tufts General Hospital in Boston. He was

also 1988 Chairman of the United Way’s Patriot division along with

being Co chair of the Alliance to Save Energy.

Dean returned to Urbana-Champaign in Spring 2017 to be a guest

lecturer to an evening class of engineering students upon the

personal request of the President of the School of Engineering,

lodging at the Alumni Centre on campus. His continued appreciation

for the University of Illinois were also evidenced by the Scholarship

Trust issued in mathematics and his late mother’s Honorary Music

Endowment, the Dorothy Tuckerman Langford Music Scholarship,

which he had established some 27 years earlier

Dean is survived by his loving wife, Mrs. Kelly D. Langford, one son,

Douglas Langford and daughter in law, Sharon Langford, two

grandchildren, Nicole Alene Langford and Dylan Tucker Langford of

New York.

A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00PM on Thursday, October 21st

at the Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Visitation

will precede the funeral at 1:00PM.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00AM on Saturday, October

23rd at Walnut Cemetery, near his childhood home in Walnut, Illinois.

A fellowship dinner will follow the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to your local SPCA (Society

of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and/or St. Jude’s Children’s

Hospital.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.