Quentin Lange, 97, mechanic, musician, and decorated veteran

Quentin C. Lange had many passions throughout his life - his family, his auto repair business, music, and the community.

The Army Air Corps veteran and former mayor was described as a "gifted" person who taught himself how to become a master mechanic, was musically  proficient on several instruments, was such a precise golfer that he twice hit holes in one, and was fortunate during World War II, when he survived enemy fire that shot a cup out of his hand, said his nephew Bill Lange.

"He could do anything, fix anything, and play anything," Bill Lange said. "He was just a truly gifted person."

On Sunday, April 2, Mr. Lange, 97, of South Harrison Township, died in the Veterans Memorial Home-Vineland after his health  deteriorated.

The youngest of eight siblings raised on a farm in Bridgeport, Gloucester County, he was the son of the late Ernest and Elizabeth Magin Lange. After graduating from Swedesboro High School, Mr. Lange was in the military from 1942 until his honorable discharge in 1945 as a technical sergeant for the 64th Fighter Wing Squadron. His military record shows he  served in Italy, France, the Rhineland, and Tunisia, earning medals for good conduct and the European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign.

He returned to his wife, Hannah, in South Jersey, deciding to settle in Harrisonville, where he built a house and opened Lange's Garage on Route 45, said daughter Diane Trovero. Growing up on the farm, he taught himself how to fix tractors and equipment that sparked his interest to open his own shop.

"The older people around here still remember when he would just listen to a vehicle and tell what was wrong with it," Trovero said.

He enjoyed all sports, especially golf, bowling, and softball. In his 80s, he twice sank ace shots golfing, Bill Lange said. He was a loyal fan of the Phillies and Eagles.

Mr. Lange loved music so much that he taught himself guitar, accordion, piano, and the organ, playing by ear or reading music. His daughter said Bill Haley and His Comets wanted her father to join the early rock and roll band, but Mr. Lange  declined because he was dedicated to his family, which included three children.

Instead, he played country and rock with several local bands, including the Swedesboro Hillbillies and the Four Sharps.

In 1966, he served as chairman of the board for South Harrison Township, and as mayor from 1967 to 1969. He was a member of the Harrisonville Fire Company.

In addition to  his daughter, Mr. Lange is survived by son Ronald, seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Hannah May, in 1984; his second wife, Ludwina "Heidi" Lange, in 2009; and son John in 2015.

Services are scheduled for Friday, April 7, with a viewing at 10 a.m., and funeral at 11 a.m., at the H.T. Layton Funeral Home, 102 S. Main St., Woodstown. Burial will follow with military honors in Eglington Cemetery, Clarksboro.

Contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, Box 758517, Topeka, Kan. 66675-8517, or online at woundedwarriorproject.org.

Condolences may be left for the family at htlayton.com.