Titus has published an article about Bob Langmade, President of Norman S. Wright Co. SW.:
On May 30th 2011, the HVAC industry lost one of the greats, Bob Langmade, the President of the Norman S Wright Co. SW, died at the age of 87 after a ten year battle with cancer. His last day of work was earlier in the month of May.
Bob was born July 4th, 1924 to Pearl Louise and Robert Grover Langmade in Phoenix, Arizona. Robert attended Phoenix Union High School, graduating in 1942. He entered the US Navy in April of 1943 and served as an aerographer in the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. At the end of WWII, he married his high school sweetheart and embarked on an adventure that would last 64 years. He continued his education graduating from Phoenix Community College. Together, they enrolled at the University of Colorado, both graduating in 1949 with degrees in Architectural Engineering. Upon returning to Phoenix, Bob first went to work for Tucson Steel. In 1952, Norman Wright Jr. hired Bob to open an office in Phoenix and Norman S. Wright & Co SW was formed. In order to serve the Southwest, offices and warehouses in Tucson, Albuquerque, and El Paso were formed. In the late 1970’s, Norman Wright Jr. retired and Norman S. Wright & Co. SW became a separate organization from the original company in San Francisco. In the late 1970’s Bob completed the purchase of the Southwest Companies.
The business became a passion for Bob, who poured his heart and soul into the company and the HVAC community. Today, under current principals Dianne Langmade (Daughter), Bob Schmidt, Tom Watters, Tim Murphy and David Gallegos, the four locations now have over 57 employees and over 77,000 square feet of warehouse space.
Bob was also instrumental in starting both Metal Form Manufacturing, a manufacturer of HVAC products with worldwide distribution, and Longmeadow Properties. His children are now managing both of these companies. According to Leon Kloostra, Senior Chief Engineer at Titus, who knew Bob for over 40 years, “Bob behaved with honor and integrity throughout his life and never lost his sense of curiosity”.
Norman S. Wright Co.-Manufactures Representatives and Titus have been partners since the early 1960’s, making Bob Langmade one of the longest Titus Representatives in the Company’s history.
Throughout his life Bob, was an active part of the community, a member of ASHRAE, the Optimist Club, and a Leader of Boy Scout Troop 22. He was also an avid tennis player, an outdoorsman, and a dedicated father. His wife of 64 years, Beatrice, three children Dale, Dan, and Dianne all residing in Phoenix, and five grandchildren survive Bob.