More detail on this person: Bither, Col. Rodney
D. Sr. (US Army Ret.), age 80, died Wednesday,
December 24, 2015 at Banner Desert Medical
Center surrounded by his loving family. He is
survived by his wife of 60 years, Barbara Bither;
three children: Rodney Bither, Jr.; Cynthia
Goodwin and Steven Bither; two grandchildren:
Jason Bither and Elizabeth Goodwin; one sister:
Judy Drouin; two brothers: Ted Wing and Bobby
Wing; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was
born in Houlton, Maine, where he spent much of his
childhood. After joining the Army in 1952, serving
nine years in the enlisted ranks, he became an
Officer, graduating at the top of his Class from
Officer Candidate School. He served for 38 years,
including two tours in Vietnam as a helicopter
pilot as well as a tour in Africa performing
geological surveys. Later in his career, he had
the opportunity to fly the Apache Helicopter and
was the Army's representative for the acquisition
of the Apache in Mesa. He was inducted into the
Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame at Ft.
Benning, GA. After retiring from the Army in 1990,
he spent 10 years as a Project Manager helping
deliver Apache training devices for The Boeing
Company in Mesa, Arizona. His time as an Army
Aviator led to a lifetime love of flying. He was
an avid reader and also enjoyed spending time on
the links with his golf buddies. Those who knew
Rod, even for a brief time, often drew inspiration
from his words as well as his deeds. Above all, he
was a loving and selfless Husband, Father and
Grandfather. Services will be held at a date yet
to be determined at Arlington National Cemetery.
Published in The Arizona Republic on Dec. 30,
2015
Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023
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