Ib Steinmetz

Ib Steinmetz, 91, from Thornton, Pennsylvania, and beloved father of Lisa Ann Steinmetz and Carl Christian Steinmetz, passed away in Brasov, Romania, on June 1, 2024. Ib was a proud grandfather to Adam Snebold and Ava Snebold, father-in-law to William Snebold, and the devoted husband of the late Alma Steinmetz, the love of his life for 65 years.

Ib was a noble, kind, honest, joyful, insightful, and intelligent man who cherished his family and friends. He was the son of Otto Ludvig Steinmetz and Dagny Dela Jensen, born in Frederiksberg, Denmark.

“My father Ib was not only my best friend but the true guiding light in all our lives,” remembers Lisa. “We traveled together in the summers, often visiting a camping site called Trap Pond. We spent all our summers there when I was a child. After I had my children, we returned to our original campsite. One night, I had to walk in the dark with a dim flashlight. My father quickly got out of his tent and held up a big glowing lantern, insisting on walking in front of me, his arm never wavering until I reached the end of the dark trail. He was the guiding light in my life. He found joy in helping others and contributing to making the world a better place. We all loved him dearly and are deeply saddened by his sudden passing.”

Ib was an accomplished man, graduating as Valedictorian from the Danish Technical Institute (DTI) and earning his master’s degree from the University of Delaware. He served in the Royal Danish Navy before immigrating from Denmark with Alma to America. Ib greatly contributed to this country not only through his work but also by helping to create laws for the betterment of employees. He epitomized the proud, strong United States citizen.

Ib loved his work as a chemical engineer at Sunoco Company in research and development. Later in life, he started his own company, Hydrocarbon Engineering, with dear friends. He enjoyed playing Scrabble with his daughter Lisa late into the night, laughing and competing together.

He was incredibly proud of his grandson Adam, who is majoring in Engineering at college, and his granddaughter Ava, who made him laugh and whose creativity and intelligence he admired.

“His son, Carl Christian Steinmetz, loved his father very much. “My dad was my hero, my rock of stability. He was a decent, kind, caring man. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe him.”

Ib was a member of several organizations that brought him much joy, including the Danish Brotherhood, The Sun Honors Club, and The Unitarian Church of Delaware. The accompanying photo of Ib was taken at the Philadelphia Phillies Stadium during a fun neighborhood group trip to see a Phillies game. He had the best neighbors.

Lisa concludes, “I will ensure that Ib’s spirit will live on for generations to come. I love you, Dad.”

Services will be private.