[AT] Dave Rotigel

Wed Nov 8 19:19:53 PST 2017

It makes sense now, when Dave would make a snarky comment, and I would 
try to outdo him with a comeback, I'd always lose, I was competing above 
my pay grade.

Mike M

On 11/8/2017 9:33 PM, Spencer Yost wrote:
> Yep Steve, Dave was always full of surprises.  I knew him well enough to know he was a retired professor (in fact, after one of our charity auctions years ago he asked that we donate $250 to the alumni scholarship fund in Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which I did).
>
> But as always, he continued to surprise me in death.  I am absolutely positive I did not know he served in the military. Which he had to of to get a VFW honor guard for his burial.  In fact, I understand you don't get that from just simply being in the military. Steve Sewell indicated you had to serve overseas, and I've even heard from others that even that was not enough; that you  had a serve in  a theater of war.  Not sure but it's an insignificant point as the real point is he clearly treated his service with the humility and respect it deserved.
>
> He will be missed and proof positive you can't judge a book by its cover.  He was no saint but he was no sinner either; contrary to  the occasional popular opinion.
>
> I second Steve's send off:   God speed, Dave
>
> Spencer Yost
>
>> On Nov 8, 2017, at 3:47 PM, Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Godspeed, Dave.
>>
>> Much of what Spencer and others have already said echoes my own thoughts.
>> Dave was a unique individual, one who never feared stirring the pot.  I met
>> him on my trips to Portland back in the 1990's where he was an important
>> fixture at the campfire.  I must admit my surprise in reading his
>> obituary.   I never realized he was a PhD and a career professor in the
>> field of Education.
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Steve O.
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 10:50 AM, Spencer Yost <yostsw at atis.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I need to relay some sad news:  Dave Rotigel, a long time SEL and AT list
>>> member (one of the original) and very ardent supporter of ATIS in general,
>>> passed away Monday from cancer.  He was 79.
>>>
>>> Many of you know Dave Rotigel from the engine and tractor shows -
>>> particularly Portland.  Even those of you that don't know him personally;
>>> you know him from the posts he made here on AT and SEL.  Always shocking,
>>> always irreverent, Dave was nonetheless smart, funny, dependable, honest,
>>> and insightful.  We saw eye to eye on nearly nothing yet I always looked
>>> forward to seeing him and I considered him a friend.  His engines and
>>> tractors were always some of the best examples of restoration and his big
>>> Galloway engine is nearly legendary.  I envied his knowledge and abilities
>>> and I wish I had half his competence and acumen.  He was an integral part
>>> of the "Great West Virginia and Pennsylvania Oil Field Engine Hunt" - the
>>> one where I found my 25HP Ball oilfield engine - and was a big part of the
>>> later excavator extraction of said engine.   He helped me get it running
>>> and was instrumental in that restoration's success.
>>>
>>> His last post to this list, just a few weeks ago was:  "Life is good."
>>>
>>> Indeed Dave.  Thanks for the memories.
>>>
>>> His wife passed along his obituary and I include it below; I think it was
>>> published this morning and you can probably catch it online too.   Brice
>>> will be making the announcement to the engine list and will formulate a
>>> group/ATIS plan for flowers or a donation.  No instructions are In the
>>> obituary but we are reaching out to a close friend of his to see if there
>>> is anything the family would prefer.
>>>
>>> My condolences to his hundreds of other friends on both lists.
>>>
>>>
>>> Spencer Yost
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dr. David Emery Rotigel, 79, of Bonita Springs, Fla., formerly of
>>> Greensburg, Pa. and Indiana, Pa., died Monday, November 6, 2017.  He was
>>> born November 10, 1937, in Detroit, Mich., son of the late Joseph and Fern
>>> M. Emery Rotigel.
>>>
>>> He was married to Jennifer Vickers Rotigel of Greensburg PA on November
>>> 14th, 1981, and they had 36 wonderful years together that included raising
>>> 6 children. Dave enjoyed living in the country and was an avid gardener,
>>> house builder, hunter, woodworker, and lover of all things mechanical.
>>>
>>> Dave received his doctoral degree in Philosophy of Education from the
>>> University of Illinois. He served as a professor for 39 years, first at the
>>> University of Indiana and subsequently at Indiana University of
>>> Pennsylvania. He was chair of the Foundations of Education Department and
>>> Coordinator of the Langley/IUP Urban Teaching Center in Pittsburgh, PA. He
>>> was an active professional and made many presentations and published many
>>> professional articles. Dave was a gifted educator and enjoyed mentoring
>>> novice teachers.
>>>
>>> Dave was a loving husband and father who was very involved with his
>>> children and their activities. He served as Packmaster of Cub Scout Troup
>>> 212 in Delmont for a number of years and coached his sons' dek hockey and
>>> baseball teams. He was also active in the Pennsylvania Association for
>>> Gifted Education.
>>>
>>> An active member of the Fort Allen Antique Farm Equipment Association, he
>>> enjoyed repairing and restoring antique farm equipment, especially Hit and
>>> Miss Engines. He loved attending engine shows all over the country and
>>> showing his many engines and tractors. Dave was widely sought for his
>>> expertise and experience and was instrumental in several large projects to
>>> preserve the historical nature of the equipment he loved. Dave was
>>> internationally known and kept in touch with his engine friends around the
>>> world.
>>>
>>> He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Vickers Rotigel of Bonita Springs,
>>> Fl.; children: Seely Emery (Tammy) Rotigel of Kalamazoo, Mich., David John
>>> (Misty) Rotigel, of York, Pa., Todd Michael (Tina O'Hara) Rotigel, of Mt.
>>> Pulaski, Ill., Pedro Martin (Marisa) Bidegaray, of Miami, Fla., Daniel
>>> Leslie (Brigid) Rotigel, of Bonita Springs, Fla., and Michael Steven
>>> Rotigel, of N. Fort Myers, Fla.; a granddaughter, Sydney Rotigel-Finegan,
>>> and a grandson, Pedro Julian Bidegaray.
>>>
>>> Family and friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday,
>>> November 10th at BARNHART FUNERAL HOME, 505 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg,
>>> Pa.  A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the funeral
>>> home.  Entombment with full military honors accorded by the VFW Post 33,
>>> will follow at St. Clair Cemetery, Greensburg, Pa.  For online condolences,
>>> visit BarnhartFuneralHome.com.
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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