Anthony J. Werderitsch (Tony) passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of January 7, 2024, with his beloved wife, Patricia, at his side, after suffering from pneumonia and a lengthy battle with cancer (bladder, skin, and soft tissue sarcoma). Tony had full mental acumen up until his passing and fought death every step of the way.

Anthony was born June 19, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Saint Patrick’s All Boy’s School, playing offensive guard on the varsity football team, and fell in love with his sweetheart, Patricia (Pat). He was looking forward to celebrating their 60^thwedding anniversary later this month. Tony attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, was a proud member of the Triangle Fraternity, and was active in the Army ROTC program his first year.

During his long and successful career, Tony’s family relocated 13 times. He started his career with Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania as a “looper” (i.e., Bethlehem’s management training program, where one makes a loop around all company operations). Tony loved to travel, so he took a job as a cost engineer in San Francisco, California, with Bechtel Corporation, a large engineering and construction company building power plants worldwide, and Tony went to many of them.

After traveling and moving, the family got homesick and relocated to Jackson, Michigan, where Tony became a project controls manager with Commonwealth Associates. While there, Tony petitioned the state to identify Jackson, Michigan, as the home of astronaut Al Worden. The state agreed and subsequently installed signs along the highways.

On one vacation to Disney World, Tony happened to stop and fill out an employment application. The next thing we knew, the family was moving to Orlando, where he became the project engineer of what was then called Lake Buena Vista (now known as Disney Springs). He played golf in the 1972 Disney Pro-Am with David Heartman and Bill Graham behind Jack Nickalaus’s foursome.

The oil embargo hit Disney, and they wanted Tony to move back to California. He was not going back to California, so the family decided on Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was the project controls manager at Townsend and Bottum. At that point in his career, Tony started his own company. He asked Pat to join him in this endeavor, and thus, Administrative Controls Management, Inc. opened its doors on March 1, 1985. ACM now has offices in Charlotte, North Carolina; Westerville, Ohio; and Detroit, Michigan. The headquarters office remains in Ann Arbor.

Tony enjoyed playing racquetball in his younger years, going on long walks in his older years, playing cards with friends and family, dancing, and singing karaoke. He was a member of Ann Arbor Golf and Outing and Polo Fields Golf and Country Club, where he played in the summers, as well as Hideaway Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida, where he could continue the second love of his life, golf, in the winters. Tony won the 1996 Father/Son Golf Classic in Pebble Beach, California, and many friendly competitions, including two Old Hickories and Three Maloy Cups at Ann Arbor Golf and Outing.

Tony was a smart, generous, and caring man who gave of his time and talents to many. He was a beloved mentor to many in the project controls profession and spent many years serving AACE International and with various Kiwanis clubs of Ann Arbor. He was sought after internationally to present on project controls. He was able to travel to England, the Middle East, and Poland to name a few.

Tony is survived by his loving and devoted wife and partner, Patricia; sons, Anthony and Andrew (Anna); grandsons, Joseph, Cypress, and Cosimo; sisters Barbara Andersen of Chicago, Illinois, and Janet Alexander of Placitas, New Mexico; several nieces and nephews; as well as numerous other family members and cherished friends.

Funeral Arrangements

Friends and Family will be received at Nie Funeral Home – Liberty Road Chapel (3767 W. Liberty Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103) for a visitation Tuesday, January 16, from 4-7 p.m. Visitation will also take place Wednesday, January 17 from 10 a.m. until the time of Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church (910 Austin Drive, Saline, MI 48176).

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church.

Tony’s AACE International History

Tony has been an active member of AACE International since 1971. As noted, Tony had served as ACM’s executive vice president, owner, and co-founder. He had over five decades of experience in project management consulting, major engineering, and construction projects. His professional responsibilities have entailed corporate project management oversight and operations and working as a departmental manager for project controls, estimating, planning, scheduling, and cost analysis. Tony co-authored ACM’s Construction Claims: Contract Changes, Contract Delays, and Claim Awareness; Project Management Planning & Scheduling; Planning & Scheduling; and Fundamentals of Cost Estimating training seminars. Tony has written and presented many papers to professional societies and industry associations, has served as an expert witness in construction delay claims, and was one of ACM’s key professional instructors.

The first AACE International technical paper Tony authored/co-authored was in 1983. He was also involved with Skills & Knowledge sessions doing presentations/workshops and continuing education classes. He taught/co-taught for AACE for a span of at least 30+ years from the time of his first technical paper presentation. He also had been active (especially in earlier years) and supportive of the Great Lakes Section of AACE.

Tony’s company, Administrative Controls Management, Inc. (ACM), was the 2006 recipient of the Industry Appreciation Award (at that time Industrial Appreciation Award). ACM was also the first Approved Education Provider (AEP), which Tony and Pat were quite proud of.

The last AACE award Tony received was in 2016. At that time, it was noted that he had 40 years of experience in major engineering and construction projects; he had assisted in the education of thousands of corporate, government, institutional, and associations representatives. He was a registered Professional Engineer (PE) and held the AACE designations of Certified Cost Professional (CCP) and Certified Forensic Claims Consultant (CFCC). He has written and presented numerous papers to professional groups and industries about total cost management (TCM) as an expert on construction delay claims. Tony was previously honored by AACE as a Fellow (1987), Honorary Life Membership (1995), the O.T. Zimmerman Founder’s Award (2004), the Award of Merit (2015), and the Brian D. Dunfield Educational Service Award (2016).

Tony’s contributions to AACE International will be greatly missed. 

AACE International Member Remembrances

Past AACE President Clive D. Francis, CCP FAACE (served as President in 2004-2005), said: “Anthony Werderitsch and I met in 1970 when he came to work at what was then Commonwealth Associates in Jackson, MI. I was just a young guy barely six months out of college and very green in estimating. Our boss had hired me to be one of the “kids” in the estimating department. Tony followed him from another company, and he was the senior guy in the plan to build a quality estimating department at Commonwealth.”

Clive continued, “I was assigned to work with Tony, and more importantly, he became my first mentor. He took this “kid” and began the arduous task of teaching me the estimating profession. He had the patience of Job as he taught me so much from the actual work to being able to present the estimate to the client and defend it.” Clive adds, “Tony championed the development of a computerized estimating system for Commonwealth Associates, and I was along for the adventure. A point to understand is that the computer was in the basement in those early days and occupied most of the floor space there. Tony persisted, and the system became a major tool for use on our larger power plant projects. The ability to select and print data was a great boon to preparing an analysis for the estimate.”

In conclusion, Clive says, “I will always remember Tony as my first mentor, a mentorship which lasted many years. He provided guidance and gave me a solid basis of knowledge and work skills that served me well in my career progression. I will also remember Tony as my friend, a person I could sit with and talk about the job or just spend time talking about nothing. Tony’s contributions to AACE are many and varied. His support of the local section was never questioned. At the national level, his many contributions can be seen when you open the Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineering or any other publications. He made many presentations at the national level, and more importantly, he could be called upon to fill a gap in the program. 

I will miss my mentor and friend.”

Douglas W. Leo, CCP CEP, said, “Sad news indeed, what a gentleman. Tony will be missed.”

Larry R. Dysert, CCP CEP DRMP FAACE Hon. Life, said, “I am saddened by the passing of Tony Werderitsch. Tony’s contributions to AACE and cost engineering have significantly enhanced our profession. Always approachable and supportive, his mentorship of those within his professional realm positioned them for professional success.  Many will miss him, and I extend my condolences to his family, professional colleagues, and friends.”