Robert Rodwancy

Robert Breem Rodwancy September 21, 1930 - March 4, 2021 Bob was born and raised in Ashtabula, Ohio where he graduated from high school in 1948. He was very active and played football and tennis. After graduation, he attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. He served as a Merchant Mariner during the Korean War, stopping at several ports around the world including places like Africa and Japan. Bob met Elizabeth Lasher at the academy, who he married in 1952 and moved back to Ohio shortly after to start a family. He was first employed by Cleveland Diesel and then took a job with A.E. Ehrke, where he sold actuators for valves. Bob quickly became one of their top engineering salesmen and covered the Northwest Ohio territory. After seeing a growing need for “specialty” valves, he got the idea to start a fabrication company along with Pat Shannon and called it Shan-Rod Inc. Shannon left shortly after and Bob took over full control. The company grew until he sold it in 1986 and took over a sister company, Huron Fabricators, which later became AutoGate Inc. Bob fell in love with the Vertical Pivot gate and drove a display gate on a trailer all over the United States doing trade shows and finding dealers, many of which are still loyal customers and still remember him fondly today. In 2006, he officially retired and turned the company over to his sons. Now as one of the top Vertical Pivot gate manufacturers in the country, AutoGate still remains a family-owned business and has grown from 5 to over 60 employees. Bob loved to be on the water and was an avid boater. For many years he was into sailing and racing his Thistle sailboat. This eventually turned to pleasure boating as the family grew. He took up snow skiing in his 60’s and made many trips out west to ski. He also enjoyed hunting, traveling, playing cards and spending time with his grandkids. He was an active member of the Elks and Moose lodges in Port Clinton for many years. Bob spent the past 58 years in the Catawba Island and Sandusky areas, and resided at ‘The Commons at Providence’ for the last 8 years before succumbing to Alzheimer’s Disease. He is survived by Elizabeth Rodwancy and Janet Frank; children Patricia (Greg) Geisert, William (Shirley) Rodwancy and Donald (Terry) Rodwancy; grandchildren Rachel and Tyler Rodwancy, Sarah and Ashley Geisert, and Jessica (Jon) Ohm & Brooke Rodwancy; and great-grandchildren Jax Rodwancy, Sydnee & Adelaide Thompson and Brayden, Isla & Gavin Ohm. He was preceded in death by parents Lateffa Breem Talcott and George Rodwancy, stepfather Lon Talcott, brother William Rodwancy and daughter Sandra Rodwancy. Donations can be made in Bob’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association at http://act.alz.org/goto/BobRodwancy. There will no service at this time, although there will be a celebration of life later this summer for family and friends to gather and remember the good times. Date to be announced.