REHKOPF, Richard E., 1935-1988

REHKOPF, WALKER, DAVIDSON, SHELBY, FLEMING

Posted By: Volunteer-Betty Hootman
Date: 10/31/2012 at 14:41:52

Fairfield (IA) Ledger
Friday, 29 January1988

Heart attack fatal to Rehkopf
By JAN NIERLING BENNETT
and JOHN W. KENNEDY

Rockwell personnel director Richard E. Rehkopf, 1010 Hillcrest Drive, died at 9:25 p.m. Thursday in the emergency room at Jefferson County Hospital after suffering a heart attack during the Fairfield Area Chamber of commerce annual banquet at the Best Western Fairfield Inn.

Rehkopf was stricken at about 8:30 p.m., shortly after accepting a business improvement award on behalf of Rockwell. His wife, Wanda, administrative assistant of the chamber, was with him at the banquet.

Lois Brokken, Rosemary Roth, Trudy Oliver and Mary Steele, all nurses; Roy Clem, a former policeman and now news anchor for KTVO Television in Kirksville, Mo.; and Jamie Kulken, a respiratory therapist, performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and closed hear massage on Rehkopf until the ambulance crew arrived.

Ambulance crew members treated Rehkopf for about 15 minutes before transporting him to the emergency room.

Guests at the banquet were cleared from the room while the ambulance crew worked on Rehkopf. Tim Kulken addressed the crowd after Rehkopf was taken to the hospital.

“The rest of the banquet is canceled,” Kulken said. “If you ever said any prayers, now is the time to say them.

Rockwell award

Earlier in the evening, Rehkopf accepted an award on behalf of Rockwell’s expansion, installation of new equipment and added employees.

Last July, Rockwell announced the Fairfield and Allegan, Mich., automotive operations were being consolidated. At that time, the local plant had 188 hourly employees and 37 salaried workers.

“I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of more than 400 of us now at Rockwell International,” Rehkopf said in accepting in accepting the award Thursday night. “We’re about halfway through this consolidation project and we’ve hired 155 hourly workers, 20 salaried employees and we still have 60 to 70 new employees to hire.”

“Our impact on the community is pretty significant,” he said. “Last year, we had a $7 ½ million payroll. Next year it will be $15 million. This award is particularly rewarding to know that someone recognizes our efforts.”

Last April, the city was awarded a $100,000 Community Economic Betterment Account (CEBA) grant on behalf of Rockwell to help move machinery from Michigan, to remodel a leased building at 600 N. 12th St., and to train new and existing workers. Last March, the city was awarded a $910,000 Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) grant to help pay for street improvements near the local plant.

Role at Rockwell

As personnel director, Rehkopf was involved in the hiring of all the new workers at Rockwell.

Today local plant manager Bill Evans credited Rehkopf with making the increased employment a reality.

“Clearly one of the reasons we were the winners in this consolidation was through Dick’s efforts,” Evans said.

Evans said Rehkopf was a key figure in last February’s agreement between the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers, Local 1293, and the Rockwell plant on a new five year contract.

“There are two plants here now and Dick has a lot to do with that,” Evans said. “He’s kind of the glue that held us together while all this was going on.”

Obituary information

Rehkopf was born May 21, 1935, in Van Buren County, the son of Floyd G. and Myrtle E. Walker Rehkopf. He grew up in Stockport and graduated from Stockport High School. Rehkopf married Wanda L. Davidson June 16, 1957, at the Stockport Methodist Church. They moved to Fairfield in 1961.

Rehkopf has been Rockwell personnel director since April 1967. For five years before that he served as supervisor of Rockwell’s heat treat and core-bore department.

A member of the First United Methodist Church, Rehkopf served on the church’s building improvement committee and on the staff-parish relations committee.

He was a member of the Elks Lodge and Fairfield golf and Country Club, and a coach for Fairfield Little League and Babe Ruth for 10 years.

Rehkopf served on the Fairfield Civil Service Commission and was chairman of the Jefferson County Compensation Board, which sets the salaries of elected officials. He had been on the board for nine years.

He received the Friend of Education Award in 1985 from the Fairfield Community Education Association for his interest and association with education.

Surviving in addition to his wife are two sons: Ron E. and his wife, Mary, of O’Fallon, Mo., and Randy C. of Richland; one daughter, Ranita S. and her husband, Jeff Shelby, of Louisville, Texas; his mother, Myrtle Rehkopf, Ottumwa; and one sister, Etta M. Fleming, Marion.

He was preceded in death by his father.

The funeral service for Rehkopf will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Clair Odell officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Fairfield Little League or Babe Ruth programs. Raymond Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Banquet plans

Mike Brouwer, chamber executive vice president, said today the chamber banquet will be scheduled at a later date to distribute the remainder of the awards, including the Outstanding Citizen Awards, and conduct remaining business.

Brouwer said he worked particularly close with Rehkopf in the past two years in securing the consolidation of the Allegan plant.

“It’s safe to say it’s been a heavy load for Dick to carry,” Brouwer said today. “He’s certainly done a super job, a magnificent job putting together a fantastic group of people to man the plant. He was a dedicated employee at Rockwell.”

“It’s a terrible shame to lose a man of that stature at this age,” Brouwer said. “It’s a terrible loss to the community.”

Mayor Robert Rasmussen agreed, “We’ve certainly lost a very strong community leader,” said Rasmussen, who served with Rehkopf on the compensation board and had appointed him to the civil service commission. “We will certainly miss his contributions to the growth of the city.”

Transcribed and posted for genealogical purposes, I am no relation.