Submitted by: Dan Rich

Louis R. Chreist Jr.

Sept. 9, 1910 - Jan. 22, 2002

South Bend Tribune 1/25/2002

Louis R. Chreist Jr., lifelong South Bend, Ind., resident and former president of the South Bend Toy Company, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002. He was 91. Mr. Chreist was born Sept. 9, 1910, in South Bend, to Matie (Martin) and Louis R. Chreist.

On April 17, 1937, in South Bend, he married Mary Elizabeth Cashman, who passed away April 16, 1963. On Sept. 2, 1964, in South Bend, he married Ann Slick Lang, who passed away on July 27, 1999. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Frederick Martin Chreist Sr. He is survived by his five children, Ann Chreist (Thomas) Cooper of South Bend, Robert (Lynn) Chreist of Carmel, Ind., Charles (Marcia) Lang of Two Harbors, Minn., Joseph Lang of Naples, Fla., and Thomas (Phyllis) Lang of North Liberty, Ind.; five grandchildren, Eric Chreist, Amy Lang DeHaven, Beth Lang Dugan, Justin Cooper and Nash Cooper; and by three great-grandchildren, Rebecca and Andrew DeHaven, and Sean Dugan.

Mr. Chreist attended Colfax Grade School and graduated from South Bend (Central) High School in 1928 as valedictorian of his senior class. He worked for a year at the South Bend Toy Company, then entered the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1933, cum laude, from the School of Architecture. He was awarded the Kervick Gold Medal for highest merit in Architecture and the American Institute of Architects Medal for Excellence. He captained the Notre Dame tennis team in 1932-33. In 1933, because his architectural skills were of little use in the Depression, he returned to the South Bend Toy Company as a full-time employee in the payroll department. He progressed through the ranks as plant superintendent, vice president of manufacturing and executive vice president, becoming president and CEO in 1959, a title that he retained until his retirement in 1977.

He was a 73-year member of St. Paul's Memorial United Methodist Church where he taught Sunday School for 35 years and served as treasurer, trustee, lay delegate to the annual conference, and was a member of the memorials committee. He served as a member and past president of Kiwanis, as a member of S.C.O.R.E., on the board of trustees of DePauw University and the Y.M.C.A. of South Bend, and on the boards of directors of the Tower Federal Savings and Loan Association, South Bend College of Commerce, the Round Table, the Association of Commerce, the City Rescue Mission and Camp, and Slick's Laundry and Cleaners. An avid tennis player, "Lou," as he was known to his friends, won the South Bend City Men's Tennis Championship nine times, and numerous doubles and veterans titles. In later years he could be seen on Thursday evenings with his friends, "the World Fixers," playing tennis, then solving the world's problems over dinner at the University Club.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, in St. Paul's Memorial United Methodist Church, 1001 W. Colfax Avenue. The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. today, Jan. 25, in the Welsheimer Funeral Home, 521 N. William Street, and immediately following the memorial service in the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to St. Paul's Memorial United Methodist Church, 1001 W. Colfax Avenue, South Bend, IN 46601.