Engineering firm chairman loved golfing

Leonard Busch, an engineer who left Owens Corning more than 30 years ago to become a partner at Maumee-based Matrix Technologies Inc., died Monday in his home. He was 67.

Mr. Busch of Swanton Township was diagnosed two years ago with prostate cancer, which spread to his lymph nodes, said his wife, Lynnette Busch.

After working in North Carolina for General Electric, Mr. Busch moved to Toledo to join Owens Corning in 1972, working as an engineering supervisor.

Mrs. Busch said her husband loved his work there, but he left Owens Corning in 1980 to become a partner and president of Matrix Technologies, then located on Spielbusch Avenue.

Mr. Busch guided the engineering firm through the transition in 1992 of relocating into a new office building in Maumee's Arrowhead Industrial Park.

He stepped down as president about six years ago, but remained as chairman of Matrix's board of directors.

Mrs. Bush said her husband was skilled at forecasting the company's sales and profits.

"He was incredible with numbers," she said. "He could actually predict how much money they were going to make in the following year. The most he was ever off was like $122."

Mr. Busch and the former Lynnette Werstler met in 1988 at Matrix Technologies, where she was a secretary. They were married Nov. 23, 1991. She said he eventually adopted her daughter, Leah.

He grew up in Morristown, N.J., and attended Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, where he played basketball and baseball.

His wife said his father was an engineer who was part of a team that developed patents for installing underground telephone cables.

Mrs. Busch said her husband and his six brothers were given the choice by their father of entering seminary to become priests, or becoming engineering students. He picked the latter, majoring in electrical engineering at Ohio State University.

Deep-sea fishing and golf were among Mr. Busch's hobbies.

"Everything revolved around golf. He didn't care if it was sunny or not. He loved his golf," Mrs. Busch said.

Surviving are his wife, Lynnette; son, Michael; daughters, Laurie Koprowski and Leah Busch; brothers, Kenneth, Robert, Gerard, and Joseph Busch; sisters, Marilyn Klein, Joan Capaccio, Ann Mary Shultz, and Carol Rhoten, and eight grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday in the Peinert Funeral Home, Whitehouse, where services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The family suggests tributes to Hospice of Northwest Ohio.