Obituary of Werner Karl Volkmann

Werner Karl Volkmann of Glen Mills, PA, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2025, at age 92. He was born on September 22, 1932, in Berlin, Germany, to Bruno Volkmann and Charlotte Volkmann, the first of three children. His father was an electrical engineer and owner of a small company.

Werner grew up and went to elementary school for four years in Gross-Kreutz, a little town of 900 people near Berlin, then commuted to the next bigger town, Brandenburg, to attend high school until graduation in 1950. During this time, he was very active in rowing and competed in races on a national level. He felt especially proud when, much later, his son also won a national medal in rowing.

In 1956 Werner completed his studies at the Technical University in Berlin with a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.

His first employment was with the Siemens Company in Berlin, where he designed electrical machines. His co-workers introduced him to sailing. Soon he bought a boat and participated in regattas. Sailing became a lifelong passion.

In 1960 he was promoted to a managerial position at Siemens in Munich, Germany, to work on electronic control systems. While working at Siemens, he wrote his dissertation. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University in Munich in 1963.

In Munich, he met his wife, Christa, at one of the famous carnival balls. They married in 1964, and only six months later, they immigrated to the US, after he had found work at General Electric in Erie, PA. Here, their three children—Andrea, Mark, and Petra—were born.

In 1974, GE transferred him to the Philadelphia area. They settled in Media, PA. In 1977, he started his own company, "Volkmann Electric Drives," which grew from humble beginnings in his garage, with much help from his wife during the initial difficult times. It developed into a sizeable and successful business. The American dream had become a reality.

The business was sold in 1990, and he retired at the age of 59. He devoted full time to his lifelong interests—sailing, traveling, and flying. He learned to fly, bought a small single-engine plane, and made extensive trips from the Bahamas to Newfoundland and covered much of the US. He participated twice in the "Annapolis to Bermuda Race" in his offshore yacht. He sailed his boat to the Bahamas for one winter season and to the Caribbean for another winter. He and his wife traveled all over the world, from Egypt, Alaska, the Himalayas, the Sahara, the Amazon, Africa, Antarctica, to China, Israel, and Russia.

Werner was blessed with three children he was very, very proud of. Andrea was a valedictorian in high school, then went on to Princeton University. After 25 years in a successful management position in a large company, she left and started her own consulting company. Mark followed in his father's footsteps in his own way. He also started and grew his own company successfully. Petra became the wonderful mother of three children.

One of the best parts of his life was being a grandfather to his five grandchildren—Joseph, Maria, Anthony, Petra’s children, as well as Calvin and Tanner, Mark's boys. They brought him much joy.

Werner is survived by his wife Christ Volkmann, children Andrea Ramage, Mark Volkmann, Petra Saldutti, and his grandchildren. The remainder of his relatives live in Germany: his sister Rosemarie Krause, her children Annemarie Koenig, Baerbel Liere, Christine Doering and their children; also his brother Juergen Volkmann and son Andreas Volkmann, and a cousin Gitti Sauermann.

Werner will be deeply missed and forever remembered for being a pillar of trust, of deep love and caring and unlimited generosity, for his curiosity, every fiber of him an engineer. He was a true gentleman.

Visitation: Saturday, March 8th after 10:00AM at Reformation Lutheran Church, 102 W. Rose Tree Rd., Media, PA 19063.

Funeral Service: Saturday, March 8th at 11:00AM at the church.

Interment: Cumberland Cemetery.