Louis ‘Lou’ L. Phannenstiel ’54 of Littleton, Colo., died November 12, 2011. Lou was born in 1932 in Hays, Kan., and moved with his family to the Denver area in 1945. After graduating from St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, he attended Rockhurst College, a Jesuit college in Kansas City. After one semester, he transferred to Mines, where he earned a professional degree in petroleum refining engineering. The recipient of a football scholarship, he played for the varsity team and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, the Blue Key Honor Society and ROTC. A regular visitor to the mountains, Lou loved to ski and was a member of the Mines ski team.
Having been introduced shortly after graduation to his wife-to-be, Margaret ‘Peggy’ Mirocke, Lou was posted to Korea to serve with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Following his honorable discharge, he joined Continental Oil in Oklahoma. After Lou and Peggy were married in 1957, they moved to Glenwood Springs, where Lou worked for Union Carbide Nuclear in Rifle. He began his long career with Air Products as a project engineer based in Allentown, Pa. While rising through the ranks, he earned an MBA from Lehigh University, and spent several years based in Surrey, England. In 1987, he retired from the position of chairman and president of Stearns Catalytic, a Denver-based subsidiary of Air Products. A member of the Mines Century Society, he remained close to Mines, attending events and serving as a judge for the Senior Design Fair for many years. Lou is survived by his wife; sons Mark and Eric ’86; daughter Michelle; and six grandchildren.
