Obituary for Rudolf K. Lang

On June 1, 2025, God brought Rudolf Karl Lang home to Himself, to rejoice eternally in heaven.  Rudolf, known by most as Rudi, was given life by his Creator and was born January 10, 1932, in Fürth, Germany to Konrad Lang and Margarete (Grauf) Lang. The oldest of five brothers, Rudi spent his childhood in the neighboring city of Nürnberg until the difficult circumstances of World War II brought him and his siblings to a farm in

Grünreuth, in the Bavarian countryside, a place he remembered fondly throughout his life.

Later, after honing his God-given skills at the Nürnberg Technical School Rudi began work as a telecommunications engineer at Telefonbau und Normalzeit in Frankfurt, Germany. At the age of 25, he accepted a short-term foreign assignment in the United States to work for RCA in New York City. This move proved to be the beginning of a 42-year career in the telecommunications industry with RCA, GE, MCI, and Worldcom, from which he ultimately retired as a technical manager. In his work, Rudi traveled the world, designing and installing international telephone exchanges, and was instrumental in the development of Telex – a precursor to the Internet.

God gave Rudi the gift of his beloved spouse, Carolyn Zettwoch, with whom he was blessed to have 3 children. He was a loving husband and a wonderful father. Family was important to him, and his home was always open to all who needed a place. Though never moving back to his native Germany, he remained in close contact with his extended family and many friends there and visited as often as possible.

God blessed Rudi with a strong sense of responsibility and partnership; these qualities led him to a life of servant leadership, and through these, Rudi enjoyed the friendship of many special people throughout his life. For many years he served Trinity Lutheran Church in Morris Plains, NJ as an usher, an offering teller, and as a member of the church council. He also served as President of the Residents Board at the House of the Good Shepherd in Hackettstown, NJ. But he served many others just by being him, with his loving heart, his generosity, and his kind and gentle spirit.

Rudi was a devoted Yankees fan, due in great part to his embrace of life in America; his love of the game and the team have been passed on to his children and grandchildren.

He enjoyed puttering around in the yard, spending time with Max, his beloved black lab, and cruising in the Caribbean with Carol.

Blessed with a zest for living life fully, he encouraged all who would listen to seize the opportunities and experiences that came their way, leaving fear aside in the knowledge that God was in control of everything and holds them in the palm of His hand.