Visitation, memorial services set for former Genencor plant manager

Updated with visitation and memorial service information at 3:52 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, 2011.

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Visitation and a memorial service are planned for former Genencor plant manager Georg Anderl of Cedar Rapids, who was struck and killed Monday while jogging in North Carolina.

Anderl, recalled by friends and colleagues as someone who was "never half-hearted about anything" and a devoted family man, continued to live in Cedar Rapids after taking a position in May with Chemtex USA of Wilmington, N.C.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that Anderl, 53, was struck by a sport utility vehicle after it left the roadway in Wilmington. Witness accounts indicated Anderl had stopped to rest when he was struck by the vehicle.

The driver of the sport-utility vehicle, who lost control while swerving to avoid another motorist, was charged with a misdemeanor count of death by vehicle, according to the highway patrol.

Authorities initially had put out a call for help in identifying him, WWAV-TV of Wilmington reported, because he was not carrying identification. His employer reported him missing Tuesday morning.

A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home, 4200 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids.  Memorial services celebrating Anderl's life will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories.

Anderl, a native of Eatontown, N.J., and summa cum laude graduate of Penn State University, was promoted to Genencor plant manager in 1997 from director of engineering and maintenance. In October 2004, he was promoted to director of operations for market development of Genencor's bioproducts business.

Anderl agreed to accept the promotion, provided he could continue to live in Cedar Rapids.

"Georg wanted to stay here. He really loved the community," said Dennis Jordan, vice president of economic development at Priority One. "We had a very close working relationship with him during the time he was plant manager at Genencor. To his credit, that facility would not be what it is today without his leadership.

"Beyond serving as a representative of Genencor, Georg was really a great advisor to the Priority One staff on various things related to industrial biotechnology. He was a tremendous resource and more than once we involved him on a client visit."

Thomas Pekich, retired president of Genencor and the first manager of the Cedar Rapids bioproducts plant, said Anderl was an initial hire who showed early on that he was destined for greater professional success.

"Georg was a very dedicated and hard-working individual, but more than that he was a devoted family man," Pekich said. "I knew his wife, Kathy, and their sons, Michael and Patrick. They meant the world to Georg.

"Georg was never half-hearted about anything. He gave 110 percent, whether it was to his work, his family or the community."

Anderl, who became biorefinery director for Genencor Danisco in August 2005 and vice president of engineering at Dupont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol in April 2008, was active in the Iowa biotechnology industry, serving as founder and chairman of the Biosciences Industry Alliance of Iowa (BIOWA).

"Georg looked at the entire problem, brought in everyone who was needed to solve it, and then made it work for everyone," said Michael Ott, executive director of BIOWA. "He taught me lessons in life, business and family. I really learned a tremendous amount from him."

Anderl also served on the boards of Priority One, the Science Station and Tanager Place in Cedar Rapids, among other organizations.

George C. Ford of SourceMedia Group News contributed to this story.