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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