Virgil L. Roush, 85, of Grand Island died Thursday, August 18, 2011 at St. Francis Medical Center.
Per his wishes Mr. Roush was cremated and private family services will be at a later date. Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is serving the family.
Mr. Roush was born on May 20, 1926 in Grand Island, Nebraska to Orval O. and Josephine (Peters) Roush. He received his education at Shelton, Nebraska graduating in 1944.
He honorably served his country in the Navy during WWII from 1944 to 1946 aboard the U.S.S. Arenac 128 in the Pacific Front seeing action in Pearl Harbor, Okinawa, the Philippines, Subic Bay and after the war in Nagoya, Japan. After his discharge he worked two years for Fairacres Dairy as a delivery driver and then joined his father in business at Roush Mobile Homes Sales and Trailer Park.
He was united in marriage on September 12, 1948 to Darlene Luthy at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island where they were members all their married lives. Darlene preceded him in death on April 30, 2007.
Virgil was past president and secretary treasurer of Stolley Park School, and past president of the Cosmopolitan Club to which he belonged for 50 years. He was a charter member of the National WWII Memorial in Washington DC and was privileged to attend the Honor Flight trip in April 2009. He was a member of the Eagles, American Legion, Saddle Club, Newmar RV Club, and a life member of the Good Sam Club. He started Champion RV Club in Grand Island and served in all positions. He was one of three people in the nation to receive the Golden Torch Award. He helped District 74 start Northwest High School in 1962. He was co-owner of Roush Trailer Sales and the Tri-City Racquet Club. He received the AK-SAR-BEN Good Neighbor Award in 1993.
Virgil and his wife Darlene built and owned Kingswood Mobile Home Estates in Grand Island. He was a volunteer worker for many years with Trinity United Methodist Church traveling to Mexico where he helped build homes for the needy. He worked with the Food Pantry in Far, Texas and was a Shrine driver taking burned children to the Shriners Hospital in Galveston, Texas. He sponsored two children in their education in Mexico. He collected over 39, 000 cans for Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Roush has a Life Trust with the Lincoln Community Foundation to provide school scholarships for high school students from Shelton, Gibbon, Wood River, G.I. Northwest, and St. Cecilia. He also has a Life Trust benefitting the Grand Island Library, Shrine Hospital, Salvation Army, and Trinity United Methodist Church.
He enjoyed spending time camping and fishing with the love of his life, his wife Darlene, and researching his family genealogy.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Darlene, brothers Orval D. Roush and E. Dale Roush and a great-granddaughter Sara Josephine Rothrock.
He is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and Carl Tesmer and Patricia and Rick Johnson of Grand Island and Diane and Don Lewis of Colorado, nine grandchildren, Trudy and husband Kevin Rothrock, Tracy Tesmer, Tyler and his wife Leah Tesmer, Tarah Tesmer and fiancé Drew Poehling, Logan Lewis, Danielle Lewis, Hayley Johnson, Alicia Johnson and Mitchell Johnson. He also has four great-grandchildren, Kathryn, Ticen, Jady and Gage, and two sisters, Edith Watson of Fremont, California and Betty Jo Dalgas of Omaha.
A special thank you to Eva Watson for her care and companionship for our father.