Rawson H. Murdock Jr

Fifth generation South Bend native, Rawson H. Murdock Jr. 100, passed away peacefully Dec 30th 2022. He was born July 8th 1922 in South Bend to Helene and Rawson H. Murdock Sr.

He is survived by his wife Christine (Allen) of 75 years, his children Louise Murdock and Amy (Jack) Roberson; grandchildren, Sam Roberson, Allison (Brian) Ozols, great grandsons Liam and Nolan Ozols, all of Dallas, Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents, son Allen Murdock and sister Mary Murdock Shandy.

Rawson graduated from South Bend Central High School and DePauw University. He was an active member and served as president of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

He served in WWII as a US Navy Junior Lieutenant and his ship Athene played a part in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa invasions. After serving in the war, he attended Carnegie-Mellon University, where he met his future wife. They married in Philadelphia on August 30,1947 and settled in South Bend.

He was a faithful and lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church of South Bend. Over the years he served as Clerk of the Session, Elder, Deacon and Usher.

Rawson began his printing career in sales at Mossbergs; and in 1987 retired from Lithotone, Inc., printing company as Executive Vice-President.

Always the avid adventurist, his favorite pastime was flying his experimental Tailwind aircraft, Piper Archer II, Ercoupe and gyrocopter. He also loved to compete in air races with Christine, both locally and in the Caribbean. Yearly he attended the Oshkosh Air Show in Wisconsin, arriving either by his plane or his VW van. Recently he was regionally honored as being “ The Most Helpful 49 1/2 to the 99’s” (Women’s flying organization). For Rawson, getting to a destination was usually most of the fun!

His other hobbies included scuba diving, snow skiing, traveling, building geodesic domes, wood working and unicycling. He was a member of the Over 70’s Ski Club, and skied well into his 90’s. He was talented in many ways, a tinkering inventor and always loved learning something new. Rawson was dearly loved, was very proud of his family and loved his neighbors.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of South Bend or Meals on Wheels (Real Services). https://realservices.org/giving/. Online condolences can be shared with his family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.

Posted online on January 04, 2023

Published in South Bend Tribune

01/09/2023 EJS