Sunday, December 8, 2024

Richard Wayne Roush, 85

WILMINGTON — Richard Wayne Roush, age 85, passed away on February 13, 2023, at his home in Wilmington, North Carolina, with his loving and devoted wife, Marsha by his side. He was born on February 21, 1937, in Elgin, Illinois. A 1955 graduate of Woodstock Community High School and a 1967 graduate of Southern Illinois University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering. He later completed graduate work at the University of London, England where he earned his Master’s Degree.

Dick was an Air Force Radar Technician from 1957 to 1962 and was very proud of his military service. While in the Air Force he married Kathlyn Miller and had two children, Shelley (John) and Jeffrey (Ann). He is predeceased by his son Jeff, whom we tragically lost in 2021, his brothers, Bob, Larry, and sister, Linda.

In 1982, he married his wife of 41 years, Marsha Laird, and gained three other children, Kurt, Heidi, and Gretchen. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren, Sarah, Jeffrey, Ethan, Caleb, Hunter, Shelby, Mac, Colby, and two Great Grandchildren, Jackson and Salem. His post Air Force employment included Sunstrand Aviation in Rockford, Illinois as an Environmental Test Technician on the XB-70 Bomber Program. P.R. Mallory Semiconductors in Duqouin, Illinois, Test Department Manager, a pyrotechnics company making explosive devices for NASA and the military, Shift Superintendent. After Southern Illinois University graduation, Sprague Electric, Methods Engineer. His final employer, IBM, from 1968-1992, from Manufacturer Engineer to Criminal Justice Consultant, IBM Marketing.

While living in upstate New York, he was the first volunteer sworn Probation Officer and was instrumental in the creation of the Waterman Conservation Center in the small town of Apalachin which has grown and remains ongoing.

Dick retired from IBM in 1992 at age 55. He and Marsha lived in Gainesville, Georgia where they had a farm with goats, llamas, chickens, emus, peacocks, along with some wild turkeys who had found their sanctuary, and his beloved dog Angus by his side. Dick enjoyed woodworking and driving his tractor in his early retirement years. They later moved to Concord, North Carolina to be near family, and built their dream home. Then took a trip to Wilmington, North Carolina and announced they were moving there. They had fallen in love with this little beach town.

Dick and Marsha traveled far and wide in America, Europe and Asia. Some highlights of his life were traveling to all 50 states, with several visits to Alaska, two to Hawaii, one to the Virgin Islands (not yet a state). He presented a technical paper for IBM in Cannes, France, where he took Marsha for a two week tour of France, Switzerland and Italy. While at the University of London, he witnessed the attempted assassination of the Iraq Ambassador by three Iranian terrorists. He was across the street when they tossed a grenade under the Ambassador’s Mercedes.

We will miss his jokes, his wit, his silly made up words, and all his stories (even the made-up ones) along with his larger-than-life personality. The family will hold a private celebration of his life at a later date.

-Did you know God’s first name is Andy? And he walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own-

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