Jim Johnson – Senior Reporter
Glenn Beall, who left an indelible mark on the plastics industry in a career lasting more than six decades, died July 24. He was 91.
“Glenn Beall’s name is synonymous with excellence, mentorship, and the advancement of plastic part design. His work will continue to inspire and guide professionals across the globe—and his impact will be felt for generations to come,” said the Society of Plastics Engineers, which announced his passing.
SPE described Beall as “an engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, educator, editor, and historian.”
Beall began his plastics career in 1957 at General Electric Co. after graduating from Bradley University before moving on to Abbott Laboratories for a decade. He then went into business for himself, first in 1968 with Glenn Beall/Engineering Inc., a product design firm he ran for 25 years before selling, and then later Glenn Beall Plastics Ltd. where he focused on teaching design.
“Mr. Beall’s dedication to knowledge-sharing is perhaps his most enduring legacy,” SPE said. “He made complex concepts in design and processing accessible, practical, and widely adopted. His seminars not only advanced the field—they cultivated a generation of problem solvers,” SPE said.
Beall, over the decades, conducted hundreds of seminars for an estimated 30,000 people.
But in a 1997 Plastics News profile for his induction into the Plastics Hall of Fame, Beall admitted he got nervous before presentations. “I have to push myself into these things,” he said at the time.
Nearly three decades later, Beall’s accomplishments were honored at a symposium hosted by SPE in St. Louis as part of the Antec 2024 conference. Following the accolades, Beall did what he did best and conducted a 40-minute presentation.
For those who knew Beall, any talk of his life would not be complete without mention of his wife Patsy, who died in 2014. “I always thought of it as Glenn Beall plus, and the plus was Patsy,” said Len Czuba, a long-time friend and owner of Czuba Enterprises Inc. in Lombard, Ill. The couple were high school sweethearts and married in 1953.
Patsy Beall, herself, was described as a plastics industry activist who worked alongside her husband for 61 years. The couple cofounded Glenn Beall/Engineering after both spent 10 years at Abbott Laboratories.
While at Abbott Laboratories, Beall earned 12 of his 35 career patents, and during that time he helped that company transition from reusable metal to disposable plastic medical devices.
“A lifelong and highly engaged member of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) since 1960, Mr. Beall has held numerous leadership roles, including president of the Chicago Chapter in 1967. He was instrumental in founding key divisions and played an active role in guiding SPE’s mission to help plastics professionals succeed through strengthening their skills through networking, events, training, and knowledge sharing,” SPE said.
Beall had a passion for the plastics industry history that included work with the Plastics Pioneers Association where he helped preserve the Plastics Collection at Syracuse University, SPE said.
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/plastics-design-icon-glenn-beall-dies-91-after-six-decade-career