Eldon Gunnar “Swede” Ahlman, age 95 of Austinburg, peacefully passed away on June 5, 2019 after living, in his own words, “a wonderful life.”

He was born on July 17,1923 in Cleveland, Ohio to Ernest and Lavida (Larson) Ahlman. He spent every summer at the family farm in Austinburg from the age of five. It is Austinburg where he met his wife, Jean (Hoffman). They were married in 1947, and built a loving home for their three children on the Ahlman farm.

Swede was a veteran of the Army Air Corp from 1942 – 1946, where he was stationed in California as a WWII Crew Chief on P38 aircraft. This was a time that he remembered over the years fondly and proudly. He returned home from the service and opened the “Austinburg Garage” which serviced the town’s auto needs. Being community minded, Eldon was a volunteer fireman, and a volunteer Civil Air Patrolman. He also served with honor as an Austinburg Township Trustee for many years. He worked as a service manager at Calendar Chevrolet for 16 years, before going back to college at the age of 46 and becoming an Agricultural Mechanics Teacher to Juniors and Seniors at the Ashtabula County Vocational School from 1969 – 1988. “Mr. Ahlman” loved his students like family, and was honored to be part of their young adult years.

Eldon and Jean, as well as their family were members of the First United Church of Christ in Austinburg, where he served as a deacon over the years. He believed that the Austinburg church was the “center of the community.”

Eldon’s main hobbies were mechanics, farming, mowing, animals, nature, and music. In his younger years he enjoyed dancing at Jewel’s Dance Hall with his wife and their many friends. His children would have to admit that their father’s main hobby was “arbete”, which is a Swedish word for work. This was instilled by his parents, who immigrated from Sweden.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Jean (Hoffman) Ahlman; his parents, Ernest and Lavida (Larson) Ahlman, and his older brother Einar Ahlman. He was a loving father to Susan Ahlman Schneider (Burlington, KY) Eldon G. “Don” (Jackie) Ahlman, Jr. (Florence, KY) and Linda (Mike) Green (Cincinnati, OH) ; grandfather to Christopher (Molly) Ahlman, Alyssa (Matt) Wanner, Jenny (Mike) Munafo, Stephanie (Ryan) Condon, and Chad Green; and great-grandfather to Sammy Wanner, Tyler, Andrew, and Trevor Munafo, and Asher and Gunnar Condon, and Ella Jean Ahlman.

The family would like to thank the dedicated care givers who brought him so much joy in the home that he loved so much, and the dedicated staff from Hospice of the Western Reserve and Saybrook Landing.

Please join the family in celebrating his long and wonderful life. Visitation will be on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 from 10 – 10:30 AM, followed by a brief service at the Austinburg First United Church of Christ, by Rev. Bill Terry. A luncheon will follow in the church’s lower level. Burial will take place at Austinburg Township Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Austinburg First United Church of Christ, 2870 State Route 307, Austinburg, Ohio 44010.

The Behm Family Funeral Home of Madison is assisting the family at this time.

Online obituary and guest book at www.behmfuneral.com.