1930
Thomas
2013
Thomas Roudebush
February 22, 1930 — April 3, 2013
Thomas "Tim" McCann Roudebush, 83, of Overland Park, Kansas, died peacefully at his home on April 3, 2013, after a brief illness. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Thursday, April 11, at D.W. Newcomer's Sons Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS, with services at 4 p.m., Friday, April 12, at Colonial Presbyterian Church, 9500 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO. Burial will follow at Johnson County Memorial Gardens.
Tim was born February 22, 1930, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of the late George Milton and Harriett McCann Roudebush. He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Ruth Ann Wooden Roudebush, five children, 18 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Tim graduated from Denison University and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He then earned a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University. He and Ruth moved to Kansas City in 1955 with his job for Owens Corning.
Tim was a visionary and tireless energizer behind many causes. He founded and built the Eldred WWII Museum, a three-story complex in Eldred, Pa., that opened in 1996. Housing one of that region's largest collections of war artifacts, the museum hosts thousands of visitors and school groups each year with a mission to remember the war and honor its veterans. Tim served as the museum's chairman and chief financier. He also was responsible for building Camp Penuel East, a Christian camp for inner-city children that has welcomed thousands of children since opening in 1994.
He was a prolific entrepreneur, starting many successful small businesses in Johnson County including TMR Materials Co., Akro Fireguard Inc., and, more recently, Ameret LLC. Akro now employs over 25 people and sells its products worldwide. Tim enjoyed immensely his work and went to his office six days a week until a week before his death.
He loved politics and backed candidates who believed in the free-enterprise system. In the early 1970s, he served as chairman of the Johnson County Republican Party and as an Overland Park city councilman. He took pride in voting against projects he thought would be better carried out in the private sector.
Tim traveled extensively to promote his businesses, including visits to Russia where he not only sold Akro products but also made contacts with Russian World War II veterans and gathered their stories for the Eldred museum.
Yet for all his achievements, friends and family best remember his enthusiasm. His grandchildren could expect at each visit to be asked, "How can you make our nation and world a better place?" In the 1960s, he organized neighbors to host Fourth-of-July parades and elaborate re-enactments of Revolutionary War events. At his favorite restaurant, Bob Evans, he never failed to inquire about the lives of the wait staff before he would be served.
Tim also was known for his generosity. He provided funds for at least a dozen needy students to attend college. He loved the downtown Kansas City YMCA where he played handball for years, served on its board of directors, and undertook caring for many of its residents. One Christmas, he went to the drive-thru at a restaurant, ordered 100 meals, and took them to the YMCA residents. His wife knew to expect surprise visitors he had invited to their Thanksgiving table such as a clerk from the hardware store or international college students far from home. He loved Colonial Presbyterian Church, where he was a member for more than 40 years.
In addition to his wife, Tim is survived by one son and four daughters: Sarah (Randy) Williams of Fairport, NY; Kim (Philip) Kenneson of Johnson City, Tenn., Thomas (Anita) Roudebush of Stilwell, KS; Jeanette (Mark) Miller, of Lee's Summit, MO; and Georgia (Jim) Droppelman of Charlotte, NC. His grandchildren: Elizabeth (Ben), David, Joshua, Thomas, Ruth Ann, Chassy, Sarah-Grace, Peter, Olivia, Claire, Andrew, Lois, Kathryn, Adeline, Audrey, Camille, Grace, and Sarah Ann. His great-grandchildren: Jacob and Ella. He also leaves behind his older siblings, brother, George Milton Roudebush III of Chardon, Ohio, and sister, Jane R. Daganhardt of Bradenton, Fla., and several nieces and nephews.
The family requests memorial contributions to: Camp Penuel East, P.O. Box 510, Eldred, Pa., 16731, or the Eldred World War II Museum, 201 Main St., Eldred, Pa., 16731.
Tim was born February 22, 1930, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of the late George Milton and Harriett McCann Roudebush. He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Ruth Ann Wooden Roudebush, five children, 18 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Tim graduated from Denison University and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He then earned a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University. He and Ruth moved to Kansas City in 1955 with his job for Owens Corning.
Tim was a visionary and tireless energizer behind many causes. He founded and built the Eldred WWII Museum, a three-story complex in Eldred, Pa., that opened in 1996. Housing one of that region's largest collections of war artifacts, the museum hosts thousands of visitors and school groups each year with a mission to remember the war and honor its veterans. Tim served as the museum's chairman and chief financier. He also was responsible for building Camp Penuel East, a Christian camp for inner-city children that has welcomed thousands of children since opening in 1994.
He was a prolific entrepreneur, starting many successful small businesses in Johnson County including TMR Materials Co., Akro Fireguard Inc., and, more recently, Ameret LLC. Akro now employs over 25 people and sells its products worldwide. Tim enjoyed immensely his work and went to his office six days a week until a week before his death.
He loved politics and backed candidates who believed in the free-enterprise system. In the early 1970s, he served as chairman of the Johnson County Republican Party and as an Overland Park city councilman. He took pride in voting against projects he thought would be better carried out in the private sector.
Tim traveled extensively to promote his businesses, including visits to Russia where he not only sold Akro products but also made contacts with Russian World War II veterans and gathered their stories for the Eldred museum.
Yet for all his achievements, friends and family best remember his enthusiasm. His grandchildren could expect at each visit to be asked, "How can you make our nation and world a better place?" In the 1960s, he organized neighbors to host Fourth-of-July parades and elaborate re-enactments of Revolutionary War events. At his favorite restaurant, Bob Evans, he never failed to inquire about the lives of the wait staff before he would be served.
Tim also was known for his generosity. He provided funds for at least a dozen needy students to attend college. He loved the downtown Kansas City YMCA where he played handball for years, served on its board of directors, and undertook caring for many of its residents. One Christmas, he went to the drive-thru at a restaurant, ordered 100 meals, and took them to the YMCA residents. His wife knew to expect surprise visitors he had invited to their Thanksgiving table such as a clerk from the hardware store or international college students far from home. He loved Colonial Presbyterian Church, where he was a member for more than 40 years.
In addition to his wife, Tim is survived by one son and four daughters: Sarah (Randy) Williams of Fairport, NY; Kim (Philip) Kenneson of Johnson City, Tenn., Thomas (Anita) Roudebush of Stilwell, KS; Jeanette (Mark) Miller, of Lee's Summit, MO; and Georgia (Jim) Droppelman of Charlotte, NC. His grandchildren: Elizabeth (Ben), David, Joshua, Thomas, Ruth Ann, Chassy, Sarah-Grace, Peter, Olivia, Claire, Andrew, Lois, Kathryn, Adeline, Audrey, Camille, Grace, and Sarah Ann. His great-grandchildren: Jacob and Ella. He also leaves behind his older siblings, brother, George Milton Roudebush III of Chardon, Ohio, and sister, Jane R. Daganhardt of Bradenton, Fla., and several nieces and nephews.
The family requests memorial contributions to: Camp Penuel East, P.O. Box 510, Eldred, Pa., 16731, or the Eldred World War II Museum, 201 Main St., Eldred, Pa., 16731.
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