David Rooke was always looking ahead. In fact, his favorite phrase was "Don't worry about the past. Just throw away the rearview mirror." Yet when he died at 86 last Wednesday morning, August 5, 2009, he left behind a rearview mirror worth looking in, crowded with stories of lives he had touched. Born in a barn in the shadow of the Alamo on May 2, 1923, to Henry and Annie Rooke, with older siblings, Dorothy and Eugene, the family soon moved to Houston. There he met the love of his life, Esthermae Litherland, and went on to graduate from Rice Institute as a chemical engineer. David enlisted in the Navy in 1944, and was married to Esthermae on June 2, 1945. After the war (and against his mother's wishes,) he took a long-shot chance on a new plant being built by Dow Chemical in Freeport, and started there in the power plant. Twenty-three years later, he was named General Manager of Dow's Texas Division in Freeport TX. In 1974, he was promoted to help Dow navigate the energy crisis and was moved to their headquarters in Midland, MI. He was named President of Dow Chemical USA in 1978, and became Executive Vice President of the worldwide company and served on the Board of Directors until his retirement in 1988. It's a dramatic success story, from barn to boardroom, but not surprising for a man who used the ratchet wrench as a symbol for his employees: "Always forward, never back."
But if you had asked David to tell his own success story, he would've pointed to one of the many family photographs lining the walls of his Kerrville home. Twelve-hour workdays somehow never got in the way of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and sporting events and science fairs and music concerts and church pancake dinners. When he hit the driveway, his time was his family's and not his own. Even when he retired, he never retired. He continued his work with the Boy Scouts, becoming its national honorary treasurer and earning one of Scouting's highest honors, The Silver Beaver. He was named a Rice University Outstanding Chemical Engineering Alumnus. He served deeply and passionately for the First United Methodist Church in Kerrville, like he had in Lake Jackson TX and Midland MI, as well as serving as a two-time United Way chairman. He worked as a board member for James Avery, and helped the Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department as both a dispatcher and fundraiser. And he continued to be there for the major events in his four boys' lives and of their 11 grandchildren. David is survived by Esthermae, his wife, partner, and best friend of 64 years; his four sons and their wives; Eugene and Cheryl, Mark and Jana, Paul and Debra, Bruce and Julia, and all their children and their spouses. Grimes Funeral Home in Kerrville TX is entrusted with funeral arrangements. "Always forward, never back." That was the message of David Rooke's life, and the message for all of us who have been touched by the fire and love and trust of this husband, father, brother, employee, boss, volunteer, mentor, believer, and friend.
Source: Obituary from Grimes Funeral Chapels
But if you had asked David to tell his own success story, he would've pointed to one of the many family photographs lining the walls of his Kerrville home. Twelve-hour workdays somehow never got in the way of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and sporting events and science fairs and music concerts and church pancake dinners. When he hit the driveway, his time was his family's and not his own. Even when he retired, he never retired. He continued his work with the Boy Scouts, becoming its national honorary treasurer and earning one of Scouting's highest honors, The Silver Beaver. He was named a Rice University Outstanding Chemical Engineering Alumnus. He served deeply and passionately for the First United Methodist Church in Kerrville, like he had in Lake Jackson TX and Midland MI, as well as serving as a two-time United Way chairman. He worked as a board member for James Avery, and helped the Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department as both a dispatcher and fundraiser. And he continued to be there for the major events in his four boys' lives and of their 11 grandchildren. David is survived by Esthermae, his wife, partner, and best friend of 64 years; his four sons and their wives; Eugene and Cheryl, Mark and Jana, Paul and Debra, Bruce and Julia, and all their children and their spouses. Grimes Funeral Home in Kerrville TX is entrusted with funeral arrangements. "Always forward, never back." That was the message of David Rooke's life, and the message for all of us who have been touched by the fire and love and trust of this husband, father, brother, employee, boss, volunteer, mentor, believer, and friend.
Source: Obituary from Grimes Funeral Chapels
David Rooke was always looking ahead. In fact, his favorite phrase was "Don't worry about the past. Just throw away the rearview mirror." Yet when he died at 86 last Wednesday morning, August 5, 2009, he left behind a rearview mirror worth looking in, crowded with stories of lives he had touched. Born in a barn in the shadow of the Alamo on May 2, 1923, to Henry and Annie Rooke, with older siblings, Dorothy and Eugene, the family soon moved to Houston. There he met the love of his life, Esthermae Litherland, and went on to graduate from Rice Institute as a chemical engineer. David enlisted in the Navy in 1944, and was married to Esthermae on June 2, 1945. After the war (and against his mother's wishes,) he took a long-shot chance on a new plant being built by Dow Chemical in Freeport, and started there in the power plant. Twenty-three years later, he was named General Manager of Dow's Texas Division in Freeport TX. In 1974, he was promoted to help Dow navigate the energy crisis and was moved to their headquarters in Midland, MI. He was named President of Dow Chemical USA in 1978, and became Executive Vice President of the worldwide company and served on the Board of Directors until his retirement in 1988. It's a dramatic success story, from barn to boardroom, but not surprising for a man who used the ratchet wrench as a symbol for his employees: "Always forward, never back."
But if you had asked David to tell his own success story, he would've pointed to one of the many family photographs lining the walls of his Kerrville home. Twelve-hour workdays somehow never got in the way of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and sporting events and science fairs and music concerts and church pancake dinners. When he hit the driveway, his time was his family's and not his own. Even when he retired, he never retired. He continued his work with the Boy Scouts, becoming its national honorary treasurer and earning one of Scouting's highest honors, The Silver Beaver. He was named a Rice University Outstanding Chemical Engineering Alumnus. He served deeply and passionately for the First United Methodist Church in Kerrville, like he had in Lake Jackson TX and Midland MI, as well as serving as a two-time United Way chairman. He worked as a board member for James Avery, and helped the Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department as both a dispatcher and fundraiser. And he continued to be there for the major events in his four boys' lives and of their 11 grandchildren. David is survived by Esthermae, his wife, partner, and best friend of 64 years; his four sons and their wives; Eugene and Cheryl, Mark and Jana, Paul and Debra, Bruce and Julia, and all their children and their spouses. Grimes Funeral Home in Kerrville TX is entrusted with funeral arrangements. "Always forward, never back." That was the message of David Rooke's life, and the message for all of us who have been touched by the fire and love and trust of this husband, father, brother, employee, boss, volunteer, mentor, believer, and friend.
Source: Obituary from Grimes Funeral Chapels
But if you had asked David to tell his own success story, he would've pointed to one of the many family photographs lining the walls of his Kerrville home. Twelve-hour workdays somehow never got in the way of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and sporting events and science fairs and music concerts and church pancake dinners. When he hit the driveway, his time was his family's and not his own. Even when he retired, he never retired. He continued his work with the Boy Scouts, becoming its national honorary treasurer and earning one of Scouting's highest honors, The Silver Beaver. He was named a Rice University Outstanding Chemical Engineering Alumnus. He served deeply and passionately for the First United Methodist Church in Kerrville, like he had in Lake Jackson TX and Midland MI, as well as serving as a two-time United Way chairman. He worked as a board member for James Avery, and helped the Tierra Linda Volunteer Fire Department as both a dispatcher and fundraiser. And he continued to be there for the major events in his four boys' lives and of their 11 grandchildren. David is survived by Esthermae, his wife, partner, and best friend of 64 years; his four sons and their wives; Eugene and Cheryl, Mark and Jana, Paul and Debra, Bruce and Julia, and all their children and their spouses. Grimes Funeral Home in Kerrville TX is entrusted with funeral arrangements. "Always forward, never back." That was the message of David Rooke's life, and the message for all of us who have been touched by the fire and love and trust of this husband, father, brother, employee, boss, volunteer, mentor, believer, and friend.
Source: Obituary from Grimes Funeral Chapels
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