Charles P. Gegenheimer

Charles Phillip Gegenheimer, 92, of Glendale, Arizona, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at his home, surrounded by family. Born in Moline, IL, to Charles and Helen Gegenheimer, he enlisted in the Army on January 15, 1943 and was transferred to the Air Force in 1947 when it became a separate branch of the Armed Forces. He married Rosemari Ann Gruss on February 2, 1944. During his service to our country, he served overseas in Italy, England, Morocco, Puerto Rico, and Alaska. He lived with his wife and daughters in Arizona, Kansas, Oregon, Louisiana, Virginia, and Texas. He was awarded many medals and ribbons, including the Purple Heart. He retired from the USAF as Master Sergeant on January 31, 1963 after over 20 years of active service.

He began his civilian career at Motorola, worked at EMM-Semi Conductor, and GTE, finally retiring from Verizon. He worked as a refrigeration mechanic and operations engineer. One of his most noted achievements was being the Chief Engineer on the Valley Bank building, in downtown Phoenix.

Charles was a creative man who enjoyed woodworking, hunting, fishing, mechanical trains, playing cards, bowling, and most of all, sharing memories about WWII and the B-24 bomb squadron.

He is survived by his wife and best friend of 70 years, Rosemari, daughters Joy Whitlatch, Suzanne Panza, her husband Steven Panza, Marianne Stacy, and Carol Gegenheimer, all of Glendale, Arizona. He is also survived by his sister Betty Robb, of Quincy, IL, by 9 grandchildren: Joy’s children Christine, Michelle, and Danielle; Suzanne’s children Timothy, Michael, Stephanie, and Daniel; Marianne’s children Jeremy and Jonathan, 11 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild, and close family friends Don Sykes and Janet Becchina. Charles was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend to all. He is pre-deceased by his parents, half-brother Thomas Shea, half-sister Ruth Shea, sister Mildred, and daughter Diane Gegenheimer.

Visitation will be on Monday, December 8, 2014 from 6:00 until 9:00 PM, with the rosary at 7:00PM at Resthaven Mortuary and Cemetery, 6450 W. Northern Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301. The funeral mass will be on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 11:00 AM at St. Louis the King Catholic Church, 4331 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301. Burial will be immediately after the mass, following the procession to Resthaven Cemetery.