WILMINGTON — David John Rohde passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at his home.
He was born July 3, 1945, in Glendale, CA, to parents Evelyn Ann Mabery Rohde and Arthur John Rohde. The family moved to Chattanooga, TN and lived on Signal Mountain, where David grew up. As a boy, he played Knothole baseball, basketball in junior high and high school and swam & dove competitively in the summer. He enjoyed boating, camping, water skiing and fishing around Chickamauga Lake with his family and friends.
He graduated from Red Bank High School in 1963 where he was active in sports and school activities. He was a member of the Student Council, Service Club and elected President of the Junior Optimist Club. He earned his way through college at Middle Tennessee State University and graduated in 1968 with a BS degree in Business Management. During his senior year at MTSU, he was elected Student Body Senior Senator and sat on the board of review for admitting fraternities and sororities.
David paid his way through college by lifeguarding, coaching swimming and diving and teaching private lessons. He also managed a Red Cross swimming program involving over 400 children, with 8 instructors. He was a Water Safety Instructor and held classes to certify lifeguards. He was assistant coach on Signal Mountain and later head coach with over 100 swimmers and divers who were undefeated in Chattanooga for two consecutive years. David was honored to have coached with Ray Bussard, who later became University of Tennessee’s first swim coach and was spring coach for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He had offered David the job of diving coach at UT but he had to decline due being drafted into the Navy.
David was also a competitive Southeastern AAU swimmer and diver in Tennessee winning silver in 3m diving, undefeated in city and state 100m breaststroke, undefeated in city 100m butterfly and 4th in state 100m butterfly. Some of David’s swimmers and divers competed in Junior Olympics and Olympic tryouts in Chicago.
David served in the Navy from 1968 – 1971 as an Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator. He was a radar operator/navigator on both the USS Yorktown and USS Intrepid aircraft carriers.
He had already joined the DuPont company in Chattanooga in 1968 and, following his time with the Navy, he returned to DuPont as a first-line supervisor in Nylon manufacturing. In 1972, he transferred to the Dacron plant in Wilmington, NC. There he held various positions, including Manufacturing Shift supervisor, Process Control, Industrial Relations Specialist, Personnel Specialist and Site Training Specialist. In 1975, David was part of a team who traveled to Monterrey, Mexico, to assist in the start-up of their first Dacron plant. While at Cape Fear DuPont, he also coordinated the Site Substance Abuse program, the transition to Managed Care and the transition to a non-smoking workplace. In 1996, during extensive downsizing, David took early retirement after 28 years of service.
Since his retirement, he worked various jobs, beginning with his oldest son’s landscaping business, a carpet cleaning business, a seasonal sales rep for Wilmington Awning & Hurricane Shutters and a Special Services associate for Home Depot. He joined Verizon Wireless when it first opened a call center in Wilmington and held positions as Customer Service Rep, Senior CSR Rep and Coordinator in the activations and business accounts department. When he left full-time employment, he joined Enterprise Rent-a-Car as a part time driver.
David met his wife Elaine while working at Cape Fear DuPont. They were married in 1975 and just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in March. They have three sons . He enjoyed watching his boys grow up playing baseball and soccer, surfing, fishing, mowing the yard, building things and turning into fine responsible young men.
David was predeceased by his parents, Art and Evelyn Rohde and his brother Donald Lee Rohde. He is survived by his wife, Elaine; sons Michael (Jenn), Mark (CJ) and Nick (Morgan), and three grandchildren Harper Rohde, Maddox Rohde and Lili Ackerman; sister-in-law Kris Williamson (Billy); and niece Kira Williamson (Bruce).
There will be a private service held with family at a later date.
