Obituary
Born on March 26, 1922, in Newark, New Jersey, during the great depression, the youngest of 5 children to Ethel and Charles Rossler. He lost his own father when he was 5 years old, forcing him to be delivering newspapers at the age of 7, as well as put up billboards, being a Good Humor Ice Cream vendor at 9 years old selling ice cream to pay for the coal for their furnace.
In school, it was recognized that he was so smart and intellectual that they advanced him in grades not once but twice, allowing him to attend college at the young age of 16 years old. His mother signed him into the Army Air Corp (now known as the Air Force), at 17 years old, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After training, he flew B-17 bomber airplanes during World War II, and then B-29’s during the Korean War. During the Cold War, he few B-47’s He married Charlene Harth in 1954 and they had 3 children, Vicki, Stephen, and Janice. After 26 years in the Air Force, he retired as a Major at the age of 47, in 1969, and moved to Orlando Florida.
He then became a partner with another retired Air Force officer, in an art gallery in the Altamonte Springs Mall.
After another10 years, he again retired in 1980 and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where he lived on the open waters on the Boca Ciega Bay, and bought a boat to enjoy the good like of boating and fishing. He also enjoyed traveling and with his wife, Charlene, he traveled around the world. In 1989, he moved to Naples, Florida, where he built his 3rd home since retiring from the Air Force. He enjoyed going to the beach and watching the evening sunset. After he found out that he had Parkinson’s Disease, he was forces to accept a slow lifestyle. However, he always kept busy enjoying a quieter time in life In 2012, his children insisted he move back to Orlando, Florida. After enjoying all of his family for another 7 years, his health declined and he finally passed away on June 30, 2019, at the age of 97 years old. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, his 3 children, daughter-in-law Kelley, 6 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. He was loved so much by his family and will forever be missed.
Leave a reply