Earl Rothrock, 93, of South Philipsburg died at his home peacefully after an extended illness on Monday, July 24, 2017.
Born Feb. 25, 1924, he was the second of four children of the late Clarence Earl and Frances (Kelley) Rothrock.
On Oct. 1, 1946, he married Dorothy L. Stonebreaker in West Pittston. She died Feb. 3, 2004.
Surviving are four children, Robert S. Rothrock and his wife, Lynn and Janet L. Swartz and her husband, John, both of Munson, Thomas E. Rothrock of Philipsburg and his ex-wife, Susan Hess of Lititz and Kenneth L. Rothrock and his wife, Linda of Newnan, Ga., and two sisters, Jean Patterson of Tonawanda, NY and Shirley Mostyn of South Philipsburg.
He had 10 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren at the time of his passing.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Frances Rothrock; his wife of 57 years, Dorothy L. Rothrock; his sister, Gertrude Ryver and her husband, Alfred; his brothers-in-law, Art Patterson and Jack Mostyn; and three great-great-grandchildren.
He lettered in high school football while playing quarterback for three years and was involved with both the Rifle and Sports Clubs. He was one of 10 seniors enlisting in the U.S. military to which the 1943 Philipsburg High School class yearbook is dedicated.
He enlisted early in 1943 with assignment to the 559th Coastal Artillery Battalion (U.S. Army), where he completed much of his initial individual and unit training throughout Tennessee and the Carolinas on military maneuvers.
Equipped with trailer-mounted 40mm BOFERS, anti-aircraft cannons and truck-mounted Quad 50-caliber machine guns, the unit was re-designated the 559th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion and arrived in Great Britain in August of 1944.
Serving as a truck driver and an anti-aircraft weapons crewman with Battery C, (559th) during World War II in Europe, his unit was credited with downing 12 enemy aircraft while defending Allied positions throughout Belgium, France and Germany from September of 1944 until the European War’s end in May of 1945.
One of the Battalion gun sections also mistakenly shot down a British Spitfire. The pilot survived but was understandably upset with the nervous firing element.
Once the European War ended, the 559th, along with two other AAA Battalions, moved to Antwerp, Belgium, where they processed more than 271,000 servicemen back to the United States until inactivated in March of 1946.
During his military service, he achieved the rank of technical corporal 5 (Tec 5). He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal; the American Campaign Medal; the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze stars (signifying involvement in four major combat campaigns); the World War II Victory Medal; and the Rifle Marksmanship Badge.
Upon honorable discharge, he drove trucks for Crain Trucking Co., where he received the one and only traffic ticket of his entire life – for an overloaded vehicle.
Afterwards he joined the Labor Union, trained as an Iron Worker and worked on many of the Penn State University campus buildings constructed throughout the 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. His last job was on the Ninth Street Water Treatment Plant in Philipsburg in 1989.
His hobbies and interests included deer and turkey hunting, long-range varmint and target shooting, hand-loading rifle ammunition and flea marketing.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the David K. Dahlgren Funeral Home, with the Rev. William J. Ellis officiating.
Military honors will be accorded at the funeral home by the American Legion John Ashley Dennis Jr. Post 437 Honor Guard. Burial will be in the Philipsburg Cemetery.
Friends will be received from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, 317 Hemlock St., Philipsburg, PA 16866.
Online condolences to the family may be made at www.dahlgrenfuneralhome.com.