Frank Rodesney

Frank Rodesney, long time engineer with The Benham Group went home to his Lord on July 23, 2010, age 88 years. He was born to Frank and Josephine Vobornik Rodesney in Oklahoma City on December 8, 1921. He graduated from St. Gregory's High School in Shawnee, OK in 1939, and the University of Oklahoma in 1943 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in August 1942 and was assigned to the Electronics Training Group, a select group of electrical engineering college seniors and recent grads who have remained lifelong friends. He was ordered to active duty in May 1943 and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in February 1944. He received advanced training in electronics at Harvard University and in the new technology of RADAR at MIT and at Fort Monmouth, NJ. He was Commanding Officer of the 454th Signal Radar Maintenance Unit, Hawaii, and then the 5th echelon radar maintenance shop of the Pacific Ocean Area Signal Depot. After the war, he was Commanding Officer of the OKC signal detachment of the famed 45th Infantry "Thunderbird" Division. He resigned from the U.S. Army Reserves in 1953. After returning from overseas, Frank spent two years with OG&E's engineering department before joining Benham Engineering Company as an associate engineer in 1954. In 1965 he was appointed Senior Vice President. During his 40+ years with Benham, he participated in various projects all over the globe, from the USAA complex in San Antonio, TX, to the Coca Cola plant in Moscow, Russia. He retired from The Benham Group in 1992 and retained a seat on the Board of Directors of The Benham Companies. He was a life member of: The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, The Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Military Order of the World Wars. He also was a member of the Young Men's Dinner Club and the Kiwanis Club. Frank and his wife Louise enjoyed their many friends in the Sooner Dinner Club, Mayfair Club, Revelers Dance Club, The Young Men's Club, Joi De Vie Club, Regency Dance Club, Twin Hills Golf & Country Club and the Sundowners. Together they traveled in all 50 states and to some 70 foreign destinations on 5 of the 7 continents. Frank married Louise Brown of OKC on July 1, 1944 in Sacred Heart Church in Cambridge, Mass. He was most proud of their eight children, Marilyn Taylor and husband, Jerry, of OKC; Steven Rodesney and wife, Janet, of Orange Park, FL; Jeanette Sanford and husband, David, of Missouri City, TX; Richard Rodesney and wife, Christine, of Elk City, OK; Paul Rodesney and wife, Suzen, of OKC; Bruce Rodesney of OKC; Doris Schwartz and husband, David, of Eden, UT; and Anita Rodesney. Grandchildren are Anthony, Rachel, Nicholas, Christopher, Shayla, Jillian, and Alek. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother George, sister Mamie and daughter Anita. The family would like to thank the medical staff at St. Anthony Hospital for their compassionate care. Visitation at Smith and Kernke will be from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00p.m. on Tuesday with a Rosary at 6:30 p.m. at St. Ann's Retirement Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Christ the King Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, St. Anthony's Hospital, or your charity of choice.