Plastics Industry Leader Norman Behn Passes Away in Arizona

By SKYSEVEN Chemical Technical Team · 2026-07-30

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Norman S. Behn, former SPE president and plastics industry leader, passed away at 84 in Mesa, Arizona, leaving a legacy of innovation.

Norman S. Behn, former president of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and a respected figure in the plastics manufacturing sector, passed away earlier this month in Mesa, AZ. He was 84 years old.

Behn served as SPE president in 1998, during which he traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe, promoting plastics engineering innovation and sector collaboration. His leadership helped advance the organization's mission during a pivotal period of development in polymer science and plastics methodology.

Distinguished career in plastics and chemistry

Born December 10, 1941, in Chicago, IL, Behn graduated from Carl Sandburg High School before attending Ripon College in Wisconsin. He earned his doctorate in organic chemistry from Kansas University in 1967, where he met his wife, Cherie Ann Gass, a fellow graduate student in the organic chemistry program. The couple married in 1965.

Behn launched his career as a research chemist with DuPont in Wilmington, DE. In 1971, he transitioned to technical sales to DuPont in Fort Wayne, IN. Three years later, he joined National Plastics as vice president of engineering, working with one of his largest former customers. In 1986, he founded Alltech, his own manufacturing representative business.

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Life in Arizona and lasting legacy

Behn relocated to Arizona in 2000, where he enjoyed an active lifestyle centered around golf, card games, bowling, and billiards. He held memberships at Pine Valley Country Club in Fort Wayne, where he served as club president, and later at Rio Verde and Silverado in Arizona. Four years ago, he and Cherie moved to Sunland Village in Mesa.

He is survived by his wife Cherie; daughters Christine Jensen and Jennifer (Chris) Johnston; four grandchildren; and two sisters, Carol Maes and Patti Westfall.

A celebration of life will be held from 2 to 4 pm on August 29, 2026, at the Sunland Village Auditorium in Mesa, AZ. Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Care handled arrangements.

Memorial contributions might be made in Behn’s memory to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.

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