Ex Home Rubber owner Stokes dies at 85

NEWTOWN, Pa.—Charles Stokes III, former owner of Home Rubber Co., died Jan. 19 in Newtown. He was 85.

Home Rubber was founded in Trenton, N.J., by his great-grandfather in 1881. Stokes III worked at the firm for about 40 years, eventually serving as president and owner until selling the rubber product manufacturer in 1996 to a group that included Rich Balka, the company's current president and sole owner.

“Charlie was a consummate gentleman, almost of a lost era,” Balka said. “He was always very proper. He wore plaid pants in the office up until his last day, which were fairly amusing.”

Stokes III had a lot of good friends in the industry, particularly in the New England area, Balka said. “That was the area he chose to hold onto in terms of outside sales,” he said. “He had spent some time in Rochester, N.Y., and made friends up there. He continued to have that be his "milk run.' He had a number of very good relationships with people we still hear from—from Buffalo to Trenton and everywhere in between.”

Balka remembers when he and his partners purchased Home, it was a very unusual transaction. When the Home Rubber sales manager and one of his salesmen found out the business was on the market, they quit because they assumed they would be cut because they were at the top of the salary range.

“As we were negotiating to buy the business, (Stokes) said to me: "I've lost these sales guys. I don't have the energy to train somebody new. So if you want this business to be here by the time you're ready to close the deal, you're going to have to help me.' “

So Balka came in and Stokes started teaching him sales. “We started doing that in March when I was negotiating,” Balka said. “It was great because I knew everyone who worked here. I knew all of our key customers and knew how to operate the business by the time we ended up closing on the sale.”

Stokes is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara; three daughters and sons-in law; and seven grandchildren.

Contributions may be made in his memory to the American Red Cross or to the Cadwalader Park tennis program of National Junior Tennis of Trenton; 949 W. State St.; Trenton, N.J. 08618.

PARKMAN, Ohio—Paul Komandt, service manager for Polymer Machinery Co., died Jan. 23 after a battle with leukemia. He was 66.

He started to work at Barwell in the 1960s, not long after the machinery company began supplying preformers to the rubber industry. Parkman was still with the company, working in the parts and service department, when PMC was formed in 2000 and purchased Barwell North America, according to PMC President Kendall Ashby.

“Paul then became our service manager and has held that title to this day,” Ashby said. “He was well known in the rubber industry for service of Barwell products, Pan Stone presses and the other equipment that PMC sells and services. He had more than 40 years of knowledge and experience. He will be missed by people from the United Kingdom to Taiwan and all over North America.”

Komandt served in the U.S. Army from February 1969 to 1971 as a photo interpreter during the Vietnam War.

In addition to his work at PMC, he was a member of the Parkman Township Fire Department and served as fire chief from January 1987 until his death.

Komandt is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; daughter Shannon (Michael) Cook of Lorain; sons David (Teresa) of Rapid City, S.D., and Paul (Krista) of Parkman; four grandchildren; two brothers; and several nieces and nephews.

Donations can be made to the Parkman Fire & Rescue Association, P.O. Box 661, Parkman, OH 44080.