Obituary of Rodney Cameron Wilcox

East Haddam – Rodney Cameron Wilcox, 92, of East Haddam, CT entered into the

presence of our Lord on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, at Connecticut Hospice in

Branford, after a long and courageous battle with multiple infections. We give thanks to God for this kind, supportive, giving, strong and loving man who was a blessing to all who knew him. As husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, engineer, soldier, patriot and active community participant, he was admired and appreciated for his devotion to family, friends, faith, community and country. Rodney was a son of the late Frank R. Wilcox and Minnie C. Shearer of Arnot, PA. He grew up the eldest of three siblings and endured the loss of his mother at a very young age. Rodney joined the US Army during World War II after graduating from Williamsport High School in PA. He rapidly rose to the rank of 1st Sergeant in the 11th Airborne Division and played an important role in the Pacific Theater, Philippine Liberation and Japan Occupation at the end of the War. He was still serving and ready at the onset of the Korean War. Rodney was a talented Mechanical Engineer and graduate of Bucknell University. Following graduation, he applied his engineering skills in many roles while working at Westinghouse (Aiken, SC), United Nuclear (Montville, CT), Electric Boat, General Electric, Babcock and Wilcox and Sylvania Electric. Rodney was an active community participant. While living in CT he was a leader in the Lions Club (Ledyard), Scouts (Troop 55 in Gales Ferry); coached local baseball and soccer teams in Ledyard; and supported the US Coast Guard Academy Parents Association as Treasurer. Rodney was an avid lover and participant of music and theater. He sang in church and local community choirs in CT and was active in musical theater taking leading roles in at least 15 productions over his lifetime. One memorable role was when he played a lead in South Pacific “Emile De Becque” with his daughter Shari “Ensign Nellie Forbush.” His passion and love of musical theater continued through talents passed on to his granddaughter Mackenzie. He also enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, boating and diving along the coast of the Long Island Sound. He was of late passionate about researching family history, tracing family ancestry to William Wilcoxson, who in 1636 founded Stratford CT. Rodney was a man of faith and member of the Gales Ferry United Methodist Church and covenant member of the First Congregational Church in Essex, while residing in Connecticut. Rodney was married for 64 years to the recently deceased Joyce Wilcox: he was a wonderful husband and was devoted to his family. Rodney is survived by two daughters, Cynthia Fusco and husband Nicholas Fusco of Killingworth; Sharon Wilcox and fiancé Scott Weaver of Ivoryton; a son Robb C. Wilcox and wife Maryann Wilcox of Holliston, MA; two grandchildren Cameron Fusco and Mackenzie Wilcox; and sister Sally Rousseau of DeLand, FL and predeceased by his brother Andrew Reid Wilcox of Arkansas. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 15, at the Robinson,Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main St. in Centerbrook. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 16 at the First Congregational Church in Essex, 6 Methodist Hill, Essex. Burial with the rendering of Full Military Honors will be held in the Fountain Hill Cemetery, 57 High Street in Deep River at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the “Rodney Wilcox Memorial Choral Music Fund.” Make checks payable to the First Congregational Church in Essex, 6 Methodist Hill, Essex, CT 06426. On check memo line, indicate “Rodney Wilcox Memorial Choral Fund.” To share a memory of Rodney or send a condolence to his family, please visit www.rwwfh.com