Obituary of John Joseph Kramer

John "Jack" Joseph Kramer passed away on August 2, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his loving wife and daughter by his side. He was born January 16, 1927 in Galeton, Pennsylvania, where he grew up and went to school for 12 years. He was a member of the high school basketball team, the art editor of the school paper and played drums in Angie's King of Swing, which people will remember as the fun loving swing orchestra of Northern Pennsylvania. One month after high school graduation, Jack entered the U.S. Navy Air Force pilot training. At the end of the war, in 1945, Jack was in the reserves for the next four years, and worked with his father to establish a hardwood timber mill. He then matriculated into Penn State University and graduated in finance and economics in 1949. Before graduation, he was recruited and employed by IBM in their Philadelphia office. Jack was an enthusiast of these early computer systems, which were mechanical, not yet electronic, and quickly became a successful salesman of this new technology. Jack was active in a program to assist new young parolees into the society and workforce. Jack was promoted first to sales instructor in Endicott, New York, and then to branch manager in Buffalo, New York. He married his first wife Marguerite Crabites from Virginia in 1954 and had two children. He was recruited by RCA, which was just entering the computer business, as their sales and marketing manager. After five successful years, he was hired by Control Data to establish and manage their European operation in the sale of large-scale scientific computers. He and his family moved to Frankfurt, Germany. After returning to the United States, he was hired by Memorex to head up their newly-established computer operations in Santa Clara, California, which was becoming the center of the high tech industry. Jack figured it was now time to form his own company, and he and two engineers formed Quality Automation to design and build robotic systems to program and manage chips for insertion in printed circuit boards. The company was very successful and they sold it to a listed NYSE company. Jack met his wife, Allison, in 1975, and were married on August 11, 1984, after eight years of courtship. Jack retired in 1992, and they moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina where they built their dream house on the water on Calibogue Cay. They were members of the Sea Pines Country Club. Jack was a founder and active participant in working with start-up businesses to acquire funding and develop successful business plans. Allison was very active in volunteering at the animal shelter. Summer weather conditions in Hilton Head led them to spend summers in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and then they moved there full-time in 1988 and built another dream house. They were members of The Club at Las Campanas, where they made many good friends. On Jack's 90th birthday, he and Allison decided that a move to Las Vegas, Nevada, where Allison's youngest son and family had resided for 15 years, would be a good idea. They were extensive travelers, golfers, sailors, tennis players and fly fishermen. He is survived by his wife, Allison; his son Henry Fitzhugh Kramer, daughter-in-law Holly Kramer and granddaughter Kathryn Rose; his daughter, Karen Leslie Kramer and son-in-law, Rusty Greaves; his stepson Warren Campbell Webster, and his wife Jennifer Lyn Webster, and grandchildren Hannah Lyn Webster and Ryan Campbell Webster. Funeral mass will be at 10:00 Friday, September 21, at Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary Roman Catholic Church, 7260 West Sahara Avenue. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to a charity of your choice.