In loving memory of Henry (Hank) Rodahaver

Obituary

HENRY (HANK) RODAHAVER, 100, flew his “final takeoff to that great Hangar in the Sky” on February 11, 2022 at his home in Summerfield, Florida (Del Webb Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club). He was born in Somerfield, Pennsylvania on November 17, 1921 to WILLIAM RODAHAVER AND BESSE RODAHAVER.

Henry is survived by ELIZABETH (“BETH”) RODAHAVER, his wife of 33 ½ years, his daughter, JUDY KEMP of Summerland Key, Florida, his step-daughter, Malia Waldheim and her husband Scott of Georgia and grandsons. Henry and Beth Rodahaver lived at Love’s Landing Aviation Community before moving to Del Webb Spruce Creek Golf and County Club.

HENRY (HANK) RODAHAVER was an ardent aviation enthusiast. His life was impassioned by aviation. At age 4 (four) he looked into the cockpit of a Curtiss Jenny. At age 5, he heard Lindbergh made it. In 1933, HENRY took his first airplane ride in a Ford Tri-Motor. Henry had to be a pilot, so in 1940, at age 18, he started lessons and soloed in his first love, “a little yellow J-3 Cub.”

His first aviation job was with Fairchild Aircraft Factory in Hagerstown, Maryland building PT 19 airplanes. Shortly afterwards he joined Dick Henson War Training Service. Henry was accepted in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and got his private pilot’s certificate. Henry joined the US ARMY AIR CORPS and was a World War II Veteran.

HENRY RODAHAVER was a building block when commercial aviation was in its infancy. He worked for TWA and later DuPont and others started All American Airways. This airline was his lifelong career commitment. He started there in 1949 and then it became Allegheny Airlines, USAIR AND USAIRWAYS and retired after almost 40 years.

During his career Henry worked as a Mechanic, Lead Mechanic and Inspector. That was just some of his career, but then there was retirement. AVIATION AND LOVE OF AVIATION WAS HIS LIFE. Throughout retirement he flew, instructed student pilots and restored airplanes. He had a private pilots’ license, a commercial pilot’s license, an instructor’s license and a Power and Airframe license. His notable restorations were a Fairchild PT 26, a Piper Stinson 108-3 and a Piper J-3 Clip Wing Experimental Cub.

HENRY RODAHAVER Received numerous awards: (1.) EAA Alexandria, Virginia Chapter for his J-3 Cub, which was licensed as an Experimental Airplane (2.) was recipient of the FAA “Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award” (3.) recipient of the FAA “Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award” (4.) is honored in the Udvar–Hazy Center –Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the “Wall of Honor” (5.) Sen. Baxley issued a Proclamation on November 17, 2021 marking Hank’s 100^th Birthday at a huge celebration organized by the Del Webb Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club Veterans Association.

HENRY (“HANK”) RODAHAVER’S life has now gone full circle and is completed. The Del Webb Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club Veteran’s Association arranged for HENRY RODAHAVER to once again pilot “a little yellow J-3 Cub” at age 100. It was three (3) “touch and go’s and now HENRY RODAHAVER has flown higher still, beyond the bonds of Earth.

“HIGH FLIGHT”

“OH, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds- and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of- wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air….

UP, UP the long, delirious burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or ever eagle flew-