Alfred N. Pilz

Alfred N. Pilz Obituary

Alfred “Al” Norman Pilz passed away peacefully in Ligonier, PA on September 22, 2025. He was born on October 12, 1931, in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Some of his favorite childhood memories were sneaking into the machine shop where his father worked as a foreman during the third shift, followed by a stop for donuts afterward. Al often reminisced about getting up before dawn to deliver newspapers with his father during the bone-chilling Chicago winters of the Great Depression.

Like his father, Al had a natural talent for understanding how things worked. He earned a Navy ROTC scholarship to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he graduated in 1953 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. He traveled the world as Chief Engineer aboard several Navy ships, including one of his favorites, the U.S.S. Monssen, DD 798, a Fletcher-class destroyer. The crew earned the prestigious "Navy E" award, a rare achievement for the U.S.S. Monssen. The Navy became a lifelong passion, as seen in his published stories in the "Tin Can Sailor" magazine.

He met Constance “Connie” Ney, an elementary school art teacher, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and they married in 1957. He graduated in 1960 with an MBA from Harvard and went on to have a distinguished career as a consultant and chief executive in manufacturing, for companies such as National Forge, McKinsey & Co., Ajax Iron Works, Swank Refractories, Shepard Niles, and Fagan and Company.

One of Al's great passions was classic cars, particularly prewar American models. He often took his children to car shows, hoping to pass along his love for cars. His favorite car was his blue postwar Willys Jeep that he bought new in 1948 and kept for his lifetime. Al spent over 25 years restoring a 1937 phaeton, and once the restoration was completed, he and Connie delighted in attending American classic car shows during the summer months. 

Al also had a special bond with dogs, earning the affectionate nickname "Dog Whisperer." He cared for many beloved pets over the years, including Toby, Sheba, Molly, and Cee Cee. 

In retirement, Al pursued his love for trains, owning and operating a hobby train business, "Greenway Products." He and Connie traveled across the country attending annual conventions and shows. Even after the travel ceased, he continued to assemble unique HO scale brass engines, box cars, and all the many parts that went into hobby trains. He also enjoyed serving on the Board of Directors for the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association.

 Al is survived by his wife of 68 years, Constance Ney Pilz, their four children: Kurt (Sherry), Stephen, Matthew (Amanda), and Kerry, and nine grandchildren: Noah (Michelle), Joshua (Miranda), Austin, Evan (Michaela), Ethan, Jesse, Savannah (Luke Bolton), Sadie, and Kadin. His warmth, wisdom, and love will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association, The Tin Can Sailor (the National Association of Destroyer Veterans), or the Ligonier Library in memory of Alfred N. Pilz.