It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of John Waldron on Tuesday, December 2nd.
John began his affiliation with Lincolnshire in 2020 when he joined as CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board for our realized Fund V portfolio company, Schumacher Electric Corporation. He continued to provide his expertise as a Senior Operating Partner at Lincolnshire, overseeing two of the Lincolnshire Fund V portfolio companies, U.S. Auto Supplies and CrossCom.
John’s professional life was distinguished by decades of dedicated leadership in the manufacturing sector. He spent an impressive twenty-four years at Schumacher Electric, rising through the ranks from VP of Operations to EVP, President, and eventually CEO. Prior to his time at Schumacher, John dedicated twenty-one years to MagneTek Better Coil and Transformer Corp, where he started as a Controller and departed as VP of Operations.
Across his career, John demonstrated a deep understanding of operational processes, new product launches, and strategy development and execution. He earned the respect of his colleagues for his practical approach and his empathy for the challenges management teams face in growing a company
Outside of his professional life, John was a man of diverse passions. He found joy in woodworking, carpentry, hiking, biking, and, most importantly, spending time with his family.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to John’s family, friends, and all who had the pleasure of working with him. His experience, insights, and presence will be greatly missed by all of us at Lincolnshire.
A sample of comments from his many colleagues:
- Shocking and awful. John was a great human being in so many ways and a consummate professional. God bless him.
- I’m so sorry and saddened to see this! He was a very kind man. I enjoyed hearing about his family and his many children that he and his wife raised. 🙁
- Very very saddened by this news and it seemed to have happened so quickly. The grief is even greater as John was a bright manager, but more importantly an extremely nice person. A pleasure to work with him on several occasions where we looked at opportunities together. He will be missed and our condolences go out to his family,
- Such sad news. Praying for John’s loved ones at this difficult time. Everyone here including myself holds him in very high regard, and it is a great shame to hear of his passing.
- Truly sad news. John was a great colleague, always bringing thoughtful insights in the kindest of manners. He will be deeply missed.
- This is awful news. John was always a positive force and wonderful colleague. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with his family.