Obituary for Charles Alvard Rodenberger
Charles Alvard Rodenberger, 95, went to be with his Lord and Savior on April 2, 2022 in Lake Granbury Medical Center. An okie from Muskogee, he was born on September 11, 1926 in Muskogee, Oklahoma to Darcy Owen and Kathryn Martha (Percival) Rodenberger. With his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Charles pursued several degrees after graduating from Antlers High School. He received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering at Oklahoma State University after attending the University of Arkansas for 2 years. He subsequently earned a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering from University of Texas in Austin. Charles also served with the United States Army Air Corps in 1945 and the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1953.
While working in the oil industry for Amoco Oil Company in Levelland, Tx, Charles met his beloved wife, Molcie Lou Halsell. They married September 3, 1949 at the First United Methodist Church of Levelland. He then worked for McGregor Brothers in Odessa, TX and General Crude Oil Company in Hamlin, PA before changing his focus to aerospace engineering. In the mid 50s, he worked for General Dynamics in Fort Worth where he excelled as a design engineer developing rocket fuel tanks for NASA that were considered by NASA for use in the second stage of the Saturn V launch during the Apollo missions, but the design by North American Aviation was accepted for the spacecraft. He helped design the wing structure for the B-58 and the structure for the experimental nuclear powered B-36. His greatest joy was teaching for the Aerospace Department and serving as Assistant Dean of Engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station. As the head of the co-op program, he was responsible for helping many students find internships and jobs during and after the students’ college graduations. While pursuing his PhD in Aerospace Engineering, he researched space-based hyper velocity weapons as the topic of his dissertation. During this time, Charles and Lou raised their two children, Kathryn Sue Rodenberger Wilcox and Charles Mark Rodenberger.
Charles accomplished many achievements during his long life. At Texas A&M he was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award in 1962 and became a Professor Emeritus in Aerospace Engineering in 1982. He worked as an engineer for NASA during the summer of 1962. He was also a consultant for the Southwest Research Institute and Chairman of the Board for Meiller Research, Inc. where he helped develop patents for and marketed Torqheel, a rubber heel used to help correct pigeon toed feet. In addition he marketed Skunkscreen © used by hunters.
After retiring from A&M in 1982, he and his wife, Lou, moved to Abilene, then later to “Halsell Hill” in Baird, TX where Charles was an active volunteer with the Cross Plains Public Library, beloved servant to Cross Plains First Methodist Church and member of Kiwanis. He was also a big supporter of the Robert E. Howard fans and history as well as a member of the Texas Folklore Society and Western Writers of America. During this time he contracted with Lockheed in Fort Worth and would drive back and forth from his apartment on Eagle Mountain Lake and his home on “Halsell Hill”.
After almost 60 years of marriage, Charles’s first wife Lou passed from ovarian cancer in 2009. Fortunately, he was lucky in love for the second time when he met and married Nancy Johnston Rodenberger on April 17, 2011. He subsequently moved to Granbury, TX where he would spend his last 10 years serving that community. Until his death he wrote a weekly column, The Computer Cowboy, for the Livestock Weekly Newspaper. We were always amazed that he had new information each week to write. As an avid reader and researcher, he might curse his computer, but used it enough to be called a “techie” as he typed information that helped ranchers learn new ways to work with livestock as well as better manage their ranches and farms. He taught Bible study twice a week in Cresson and Granbury up until last week and was an active member at Waples United Methodist Church.
Charles is preceded in death by his parents, Darcy and Kathryn Rodenberger and his wife, Lou Rodenberger. He is survived by his second wife, Nancy Johnston Rodenberger, son Mark Rodenberger and his wife Kathryn, daughter Kathy Wilcox and her husband Keith. He is also survived by his brother, Bob Rodenberger and wife Tommie Lou, and Walter Rodenberger and wife DeeDee. He is survived by his grandchildren, Jim Wilcox and wife, Mandi, Valerie Wilcox, Jon-Marc Wilcox, Vanessa Wilcox and Laura Ashley (Rodenberger) Pagenkopf and husband Ross. He is also survived by 7 great- grandchildren Christopher, Brent, Faith, Olivia Wilcox, and Emilynn, Averly, and Maelee Pagenkopf. He is survived by his sister-in-law Sue Halsell Neal and her children and grandchildren. He is also survived by Nancy’s three children, John Johnston, Victoria Horton, and Ernie Johnston, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cross Plains First Methodist Church and Waples United Methodist Church or any other charity of your choice.
While working in the oil industry for Amoco Oil Company in Levelland, Tx, Charles met his beloved wife, Molcie Lou Halsell. They married September 3, 1949 at the First United Methodist Church of Levelland. He then worked for McGregor Brothers in Odessa, TX and General Crude Oil Company in Hamlin, PA before changing his focus to aerospace engineering. In the mid 50s, he worked for General Dynamics in Fort Worth where he excelled as a design engineer developing rocket fuel tanks for NASA that were considered by NASA for use in the second stage of the Saturn V launch during the Apollo missions, but the design by North American Aviation was accepted for the spacecraft. He helped design the wing structure for the B-58 and the structure for the experimental nuclear powered B-36. His greatest joy was teaching for the Aerospace Department and serving as Assistant Dean of Engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station. As the head of the co-op program, he was responsible for helping many students find internships and jobs during and after the students’ college graduations. While pursuing his PhD in Aerospace Engineering, he researched space-based hyper velocity weapons as the topic of his dissertation. During this time, Charles and Lou raised their two children, Kathryn Sue Rodenberger Wilcox and Charles Mark Rodenberger.
Charles accomplished many achievements during his long life. At Texas A&M he was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award in 1962 and became a Professor Emeritus in Aerospace Engineering in 1982. He worked as an engineer for NASA during the summer of 1962. He was also a consultant for the Southwest Research Institute and Chairman of the Board for Meiller Research, Inc. where he helped develop patents for and marketed Torqheel, a rubber heel used to help correct pigeon toed feet. In addition he marketed Skunkscreen © used by hunters.
After retiring from A&M in 1982, he and his wife, Lou, moved to Abilene, then later to “Halsell Hill” in Baird, TX where Charles was an active volunteer with the Cross Plains Public Library, beloved servant to Cross Plains First Methodist Church and member of Kiwanis. He was also a big supporter of the Robert E. Howard fans and history as well as a member of the Texas Folklore Society and Western Writers of America. During this time he contracted with Lockheed in Fort Worth and would drive back and forth from his apartment on Eagle Mountain Lake and his home on “Halsell Hill”.
After almost 60 years of marriage, Charles’s first wife Lou passed from ovarian cancer in 2009. Fortunately, he was lucky in love for the second time when he met and married Nancy Johnston Rodenberger on April 17, 2011. He subsequently moved to Granbury, TX where he would spend his last 10 years serving that community. Until his death he wrote a weekly column, The Computer Cowboy, for the Livestock Weekly Newspaper. We were always amazed that he had new information each week to write. As an avid reader and researcher, he might curse his computer, but used it enough to be called a “techie” as he typed information that helped ranchers learn new ways to work with livestock as well as better manage their ranches and farms. He taught Bible study twice a week in Cresson and Granbury up until last week and was an active member at Waples United Methodist Church.
Charles is preceded in death by his parents, Darcy and Kathryn Rodenberger and his wife, Lou Rodenberger. He is survived by his second wife, Nancy Johnston Rodenberger, son Mark Rodenberger and his wife Kathryn, daughter Kathy Wilcox and her husband Keith. He is also survived by his brother, Bob Rodenberger and wife Tommie Lou, and Walter Rodenberger and wife DeeDee. He is survived by his grandchildren, Jim Wilcox and wife, Mandi, Valerie Wilcox, Jon-Marc Wilcox, Vanessa Wilcox and Laura Ashley (Rodenberger) Pagenkopf and husband Ross. He is also survived by 7 great- grandchildren Christopher, Brent, Faith, Olivia Wilcox, and Emilynn, Averly, and Maelee Pagenkopf. He is survived by his sister-in-law Sue Halsell Neal and her children and grandchildren. He is also survived by Nancy’s three children, John Johnston, Victoria Horton, and Ernie Johnston, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cross Plains First Methodist Church and Waples United Methodist Church or any other charity of your choice.