Albert Nagele, 82, of Wilmette, IL, went peacefully to be with his beloved Father in Heaven Friday, February 16, 2018 at Skokie Hospital of Skokie, IL.

Albert was a beloved husband, kind father, and sweet grandfather; an artist and designer of great creativity and talent; and a man of passion for cars and car buffs alike. He is greatly missed by wife Irma (Schnaufer) Nagele, Daughters, Nina (Mark) Vanderway, Lynn Nagele, and Glenda (Ted) Nash, and dear grandsons Ryan, Adam, George, and Mike. Likewise, he will be missed by sisters and brothers, Bill and Archie Nagele and John and Mary Kidwell and loved by many cousins and relatives. He is preceded in death by parents Leonard and Florence Nagele of Sheldon, IL.

  Albert was born in Sheldon, Illinois spent his childhood enjoying the blessings of a farm upbringing and showed early talent in the arts. He attended the University of Illinois graduating in 1962 in Industrial Design and Fine Art. He moved and flourished in Chicago Illinois’ busy arts scene both as a fine artist and employed as a professional designer with companies Bell and Howell and later Motorola. He was instrumental in all of the first and incredibly popular cell phones introduced by Motorola including the original “brick” phone owned by an elite few, and later the immensely popular flip phone owned by millions in the nineties. He was a prolific inventor in his field earning a record 200 plus patents, the highest number in Motorola History. He won international awards for designing the star-tac phone known for its clamshell design in Germany and Japan. He also had his fine art featured at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Sears’ Tower.  

His meticulous, engineering mind was useful in his hobby as a restorationist and car buff. He restored both an award winning 1937 Cord Cabriolet and a 1932 Ford Roadster that took highest awards in the country; he always enjoyed conversations around these projects in his later years with friends and family. All his dedication and kindness to his family and grandchildren will never be forgotten, and provided the soil from which the family grew and flourished.

Friends may call from 10 AM (CST) until the time of Funeral Mass 11 AM (CST) Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Kentland (409 E. Allen St. Kentland, IN). Fr. Robert Bertonas to officiate. Interment to follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery of Kentland.

 Lastly, a strong and proud Catholic, Albert asked that donations be made to the Dr. Susan Nagele Retirement Fund, in the name of Dr. Susan Nagele, (P.O. box 307, Maryknoll, NY, 10545-0307) who has worked tirelessly to provide the community in Mombasa, Kenya with safe emergency healthcare and family services.

Share memories and condolences online at www.clapperfuneralservices.com.