Obituary of Dale LeRoy Rothenberger

Dale LeRoy Rothenberger, 78, of Merritt Island, Florida, passed away after a short illness on Thursday, January 30, 2020. Dale was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 12, 1941. He grew up in Arlington Heights, Illinois and graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1959, and the University of Illinois in 1963. Dale served as a Captain in the Air Force and was stationed in North Carolina and Hawaii during his career.  As the Food Officer he traveled extensively throughout the Far East inspecting dining halls in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. He later earned an MBA from Florida Institute of Technology and was the VP of Support Services and Food Services Director of Wuestoff Memorial Hospital in Rockledge, FL for twenty six years. He is survived by his wife of thirty years, Emily Rothenberger, his daughter Maleia, grandchildren Amber and Brad, sister Loralee (Alex) Keay, nieces Holly Hargett and Heidi Landwer, and many cousins. Dale is preceded in death by his son Scott, and parents, Lorraine and LeRoy Rothenberger. Dale was a proud class member of the Arlington Heights High School Class of 1959. He loved reconnecting with friends at their class reunions and always came home with a funny memory to share or a renewed friendship he made. Dale loved his Porsches and for years kept a vintage 356 and 911. He always had a car in his garage to refurbish, always collecting parts and tools. After retirement, Dale focused on his home in Merritt Island, helping Emily with their horses and pet pig Wilbur. He and Emily recently returned to Hawaii, where they were married, to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. Dale’s greatest joy was the time he spent with his grandchildren. They brought a sparkle to his life and he was so proud of them both. His daughter Maleia never left his side and will carry on his legacy with her children. A brief military honors ceremony has been scheduled on Wednesday, February 12 at 2:30 p.m. at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, Florida. Please click on the following link for a pictorial slideshow of Dale’s life: http://www.gantekmultimedia.com/videos/dale/story.html