We at Wiring Harness News were very sad to hear about the passing of Tim Crider this past July at the age of 52. He is survived by his wife, Jana, and his three children, Derrick, Matthew and Martina. His love for his wife and pride in his children shone brightly in the many conversations he shared about them.
Tim was an industry stalwart who garnered great respect from his coworkers, customers, competitors and industry peers. He worked at Stapla Ultrasonics Corporation (now Schunk Sonosystems) from 1999 to 2014 and Komax Corporation from 2014 until his passing. Tim made a significant impact on the wire harness industry through his tenacity, strong work ethic and friendly nature. He was a great friend to all he encountered.
The most difficult part of assembling this memorial article for Tim was pouring through the many comments folks wished to share about him. We could have filled the entire issue. Following are some of the warm and impassioned thoughts from his coworkers as well as friends in the industry:
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tim had an extraordinary ability to connect with everyone around him. His laughter, genuine kindness, and willingness to lend a helping hand made him an invaluable presence in our office. His absence will be deeply felt in every project, every meeting, and every corner of our workplace. – Liz Cappellania, Komax
He worked for me at Stapla for over 10 years. He had this special touch that customers loved, and they trusted him. They asked me to never let him leave the company. I think it is the fact that he was a standup guy with generosity and fairness. He was loyal to his customers, company, and most of all to his family. I considered him my friend and I miss him dearly. – Saeed Mogadam – Telsonic
I had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with Tim for 15+ years during his time with Stapla Ultrasonics. We talked frequently during various industry tradeshows and the WHMA conferences. It would always start with business talk, but inevitably end with family talk. Tim dearly loved his family, and you could just see him beam when he talked about his kids. I got to know Tim much more personally when we both joined Komax together in 2014. Tim and Jana had Janet and I over for a barbecue our first week in Chicago and were so welcoming, which was greatly appreciated. I got to see him as an incredibly loving husband and father as well as a new co-worker. Although co-workers for only a short time, our friendship and business association continued up until his way-to-soon passing. I am truly saddened for all of us who knew, associated with and loved Tim. I will miss him. – Brent Stringham – DIT-MCO
Tim was passionate about whatever it was he did, whether it was his work life, his family life and especially with his kids. He was a very detail-oriented individual. Everything had to be done a certain way — and that was correctly. He didn’t like to approach anything halfway. His commitment and dedication to his work was above all. The work ethic he had was incredible and he treated the organization as if it was his very own, especially when it came to the people. It was about building relationships, and he handled himself that way everywhere he went. Tim was a straight, no-nonsense guy — no question about that. He did not tolerate anything less than what he was giving himself. He was more than a coworker and a colleague; we were good friends. He was a guy you could trust, and you wanted him on your side. – Tim MacAlpine – Komax
I think one of the biggest things about Tim is that he was a mentor to a lot of people. When I came into the business 20 plus years ago, I didn’t know anything. Tim was relatively new himself, but he knew a lot and had done the research, so he took me under his wing and helped me. He was hired by Stapla to start a sales territory in the Midwest. So, he packed up his family and moved to Wheaton. We had some business out there, but he really grew it by leaps and bounds. He always had the best intentions at heart towards both the company and the customers, and his after sales support was through the roof. The selling part was easy – Tim was a natural salesman. What made him excel was his eagerness to work with the customer and solve their problem, not just sell a piece of equipment. As a testament to that, a number if his customers attended his wake. And Komax…I mean what a company. They kept him on the payroll, and not a lot of companies would do that. Tim was active right up to the end. He was active in the day-to-day and helping with the integration with Schleuniger. – Jeff Roman – Schunk Sonosystems
You will not find a better boss, a better person or, most importantly, a better friend. I have learned so much from him on the business side and will always remember that. More than anything, I miss the early morning and late-night calls. Tim’s famous statement to the team was “time management boys!” He was always preaching the importance of managing our time. Little did I know that this was actually part of a bigger picture. His message was meant to be bigger than the day to day, but to manage the time you have on earth. Boy, do I miss him – Sam Unger – Komax
On a personal note, I had the opportunity to exhibit next to the Komax booth at an industry event a couple year back. Tim was manning the booth and I was impressed at how he handled customers. It wasn’t about dollars and cents for Tim, it was about solving their problems and building a relationship. That always impressed me about him and apparently my experience was not unique. In preparing this article, one overwhelming theme I heard was Tim’s was ability to lift those around him. On behalf of WHN and the entire industry we serve, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Tim’s family, recognizing his significant impact on our industry as both a peer and a friend.
