Per Ulf Gummeson

Per Ulf Gummeson passed away peacefully on February 18, 2023 at the age of 99. He is survived by his beloved wife Eva of 70 years, sons Michael and Peter, and his half-sisters Cecilia Draluck and Christina Zetterström, and his four grandchildren, Christopher, Alexandra, Grace and Katherine Gummeson. He was predeceased by his younger brother Sten Göran Gummeson. Ulf was born in Falun, Sweden to Per Egon and Valborg (Bojan) Borg Gummeson on October 27, 1923. He grew up predominantly in the southern Skåne towns of Viken and Höganaes and attended Sigtunaskolan, a private boarding high school just north of Stockholm. He earned college admission to KHT Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan) in Stockholm in 1942 but left in 1944 to enlist in the Royal Swedish Airforce where he would graduate #1 in his flight training class of 39 cadets. At a dangerous time for Sweden despite its stated neutrality, Ulf was stationed at air force bases in Ljungbyhed and Uppsala where he would have the privilege of piloting P51 Mustang fighter aircraft. He returned to college and graduated from KHT with an M.S. degree in mining and metallurgical engineering in 1951. After graduation he joined Höganaes AB as assistant to the chief metallurgist. In 1952 he married Eva Helleberg at Gustaf Adolfskyrkan in Stockholm. A week after his wedding, he and Eva left for the United States on the Swedish American Lines ship Gripsholm to work for Höganaes’ new U.S. subsidiary, Hoeganaes Sponge Iron Corporation (“HSIC”). There he oversaw the construction of the new plant in Riverton, New Jersey. He settled in Moorestown, NJ and stayed in the U.S. ever since, becoming a citizen in 1969. At HSIC, at the age of 30, he was named plant manager, then General manager and in 1958 became President. Over the years HSIC grew quickly supplying iron powder to companies throughout the U.S. who used it produce machine and automobile parts. He moved his family to Weston MA in 1968 where he was President of Whittaker Corporation’s Nuclear Metals Division in Lexington MA and then New England High Carbon Wire Company in Worcester, MA. He ended his career back with HSIC, now a subsidiary of Interlake Corporation, until his retirement in 1990. Ulf served in many capacities with the Metal Powder Industries Federation, the industry association, including President from 1987 to 1991. After retirement he continued as a consultant and published or presented over 25 technical papers at national and international conferences. In 1996, in recognition of his leadership and significant contributions to the powder metallurgical industry, Ulf was presented with the industry’s highest honor, the Powder Metallurgical Pioneer award, the same award given to his father Per Egon Gummeson 20 years previously in 1976. Ulf had many interests and hobbies including skiing, sailing, photography, traveling, and landscape architecture. He will be remembered by his family for his love, strength, sense of humor, hospitality, and most of all, devotion to his wife Eva. He couldn’t have been a better father and husband. There will be a memorial service for close family at Medford Leas in Medford New Jersey on April 1, 2023.