[PA-NJ Glassblowers] Jim Engleman

[Tony Patti]

http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20150904_James_Engleman__member_of_N
_J__glassblowing_quartet.html?c=r 

 


James Engleman, member of N.J. glassblowing quartet

 

James D. Engleman

 


Walter F. Naedele, Inquirer Staff Writer


POSTED: Friday, September 4, 2015, 1:10 AM

 <http://www.philly.com/inquirer>
http://media.philly.com/designimages/partnerIcon-Inquirer-2014.jpg

Sometimes, a truck can take you to places you never expected to go.

In the early 1990s, a group known as the Wheaton Arts Glassblowers needed
someone to haul its portable furnace to an event where the members could
shape and sell their art.

James D. Engleman knew one of the glassblowers. Mr. Engleman had a pickup.
And soon, he had a second career, as one of the four-man group.

Since then, as a glassblower for the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in
Millville, N.J., Mr. Engleman had accumulated 12,200 volunteer hours, Marie
Stubbins, a record-keeper for the center, said.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Mr. Engleman, 56, of Franklinville, who retired in 2011
as a wood shop teacher at the intermediate school of the Glassboro school
system, died of cancer at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

Born in Camden, Mr. Engleman graduated from Pennsauken High School in 1977
and earned a bachelor's degree in industrial arts at what is now Rowan
University in 1984.

Beginning in 1986, Mr. Engleman had a 25-year career at the Glassboro
school, said a brother, John Engleman, owner of the Lewis Funeral Home in
Moorestown.

But it was his work at Wheaton that allowed him to leave a legacy.

"He just finished making pieces for all his grandkids," John Engleman said.
"Each one has a signed piece from him."

The glassblowers' group traces itself to 1984, when Stubbins' husband,
Frank, a Verizon lineman, and Jeff Vanaman, a teacher at Glassboro
Intermediate, went to Wheaton to learn how to twirl white-hot glass into
pitchers and bowls and such.

"In 1986," Marie Stubbins said, "Atlantic Community College called to ask if
there was anybody who could do glassblowing," as an exhibition.

"We got this boat trailer and mounted a furnace on it," she said, and off
they went. "When we started, Wheaton pulled it with a little van."

But when invitations came from farther afield, something sturdier was needed
up front.

Vanaman talked to his Glassboro colleague. Mr. Engleman began to study the
art. And a volunteer career was off.

Soon, he became part of a glassblowing quartet with Stubbins, Vanaman, and
Harry Deemer, a professional glassblower whose day job was making test tubes
and such for a firm in Vineland.

When Deemer died in 2009, his place was taken by the Stubbins' son, Wes, a
Verizon technician.

"Now we have 12 shows a year," said Marie Stubbins, who does the bookings,
among them the Kutztown Folk Festival in July.

At such events, she said, the men show how they make their art, sell the
results, and spread the word abut Wheaton.

In 2012, John Engleman said, his brother made a glass bowl for the
governor-general of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.

Besides his brother, Mr. Engleman is survived by parents Harry E. and Jane;
wife Marge; son David; daughters Meg McHugh and Jamie; two other brothers; a
sister; and two grandchildren.

A visitation was set from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at the Lewis Funeral
Home, 78 E. Main St., Moorestown, with a funeral service there at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5. Interment is to be private.

Donations may be sent to  <http://www.wheatonarts.org/> www.wheatonarts.org.

Condolences may be offered to the family at
www.lewisfuneralhomemoorestown.com.

 

Jim also helped me make octagonal (not square) Jacob's Ladders in Jeff
Vanaman's studio as you can see on my web page here:

http://www.glassblower.info/jacobs-ladder-glassblowing/jacobs-ladder-glassbl
owing.html

 

You can also see Jim on my web page dedicated to the Wheaton Mobile Studio
at:

http://www.glassblower.info/WheatonArts/Glassblowers/July-6-2008.html

That is from 2008, but I remember it like it was yesterday, awesome demos!

 


Tony Patti
  
 <http://www.glassblower.info> www.glassblower.info
  
 <mailto:gaffer at glassblower.info> gaffer at glassblower.info

 <http://www.glassblower.info/qr-code.html> QR Code for Tony Patti -
www.glassblower.info

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://glassblower.info/pipermail/pa-nj/attachments/20150904/bceeaa2c/attachment.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 54471 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://glassblower.info/pipermail/pa-nj/attachments/20150904/bceeaa2c/attachment.jpe 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1702 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://glassblower.info/pipermail/pa-nj/attachments/20150904/bceeaa2c/attachment-0001.jpe 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 18749 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://glassblower.info/pipermail/pa-nj/attachments/20150904/bceeaa2c/attachment-0002.jpe