Thursday January 26th 2023
Richard “Dick” W. Vockroth, age 91, of Painted Post, NY passed away on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at Guthrie Corning Hospital. He was born on September 2, 1931 in Elmira, NY, the son of the late Richard and Emma (Benson) Vockroth. Dick was active in sports in high school and college. At Elmira Free Academy, he competed in football and track, winning the four hundred and forty yard run in the Sectional Championships and placing second in the NYS Championships in 1950 to Lou Jones of New Rochelle. Jones later won gold at the 1956 Olympics. At Alfred he competed in several events, often earning over half the teams total points. He won the Eastern Regional Junior College Championships at both two hundred and twenty and four hundred and forty yards and in 1957 was named the Alfred State College Athlete of the Year. In 1978 he was inducted into the Elmira Sports Hall of Fame. Following high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving from 1951 to 1955. In 1957 Dick received an A.A.S. in Electrical Power, Machinery and Industrial Electronics from the Agricultural and Technical Institute at Alfred State College where he was a member of Sigma Tau Epsilon honor society and graduated with program honors. Following several years in the industry, primarily engaged in research and development activities, he joined the faculty of Corning Community College in 1966. In 1969, he received a B.S. and in 1972, an M.S. in Vocational-Technical Education from the State University of New York at Oswego. He then went on to receive his Ph.D in Education and Psychology from Cornell University. At Corning Community College, he was a professor of Mechanical Technology with his primary responsibilities being in the area of engineering graphics and fluid power. He was also a senior member and past Chapter Chairman of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and a licensed pilot. The legendary Joe Costa taught him how to fly in 1963 and aviation became his principal lifetime avocation. Flying trips were a major family recreation for several years, vacationing throughout the east coast from Bangor to Daytona, including 32 visits to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and 38 trips to Ocean City, Maryland. In over 50 years of flying, he amassed over 5,000 hours in the air, landing at some two hundred and fifty airports in 23 states. He held a commercial license with instrument and ground instructor ratings, but never inspired to become a professional pilot. For several years, he volunteered as an FAA Safety Counselor and conducted Safety Seminars for pilots. In 2014 the FAA presented him with the rare Wright Brothers Master Pilot award for having over fifty years of safe flying and contributions to aviation. Dick wrote many aviation-related articles for magazines, using experiences gained during family vacations by airplane. In 1994 he wrote a textbook and penned all the illustrations himself. His textbook, titled “Industrial Hydraulics” is still available from all major booksellers and can be found in libraries all around the world. Following retirement, he joined Race Services Inc. at Watkins Glen International and spent many weekends flagging for races at the track, including NASCAR and SCCA events. He was never an enthusiastic racing fan, but he did enjoy the camaraderie of the group. Dick loved camping in his motor home, specifically in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, hunting fishing, gardening and cooking. He was a passionate fan of Syracuse University sports teams, especially lacrosse, football and basketball. Dick also had a lifelong interest in music. In his youth there was no money for lessons, so he taught himself how to play the piano, and later the accordion, keyboard and chord organ. At family gatherings he would play selections from the 40’s and 50’s and challenge guests to recall their titles. Asked if he was good he would reply, “I am if you drink enough!” Dick was an accomplished handyman. Whether it was woodworking, painting, electrical or plumbing, he was a self proclaimed “do-it-yourselfer.” Whatever his accomplishments, he regarded his selection of the ideal spouse as his greatest achievement, a choice he would never regret. Dick is survived by his loving wife, having celebrated 62 years of marriage, Betty (Taft) Vockroth ; sons: William Vockroth and Larry (Kathy Clark) Ruggles; three grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; sister Nancy Graham, of Elmira, NY, and several cousins in Elmira. Family and friends are invited to call on Thursday, February 2, 2023 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Carpenter’s Funeral Home 14 E. Pulteney Street Corning, NY. A memorial service will immediately follow at the funeral home at 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dick’s name may be sent to the Chemung County Humane Society and SPCA, 2435 NY-352, Elmira, New York, 14903 or to Corning Meals On Wheels, 144 Cedar St., Corning, NY 14830.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Richard Dick W Vockroth Thursday January 26th 2023.
Death notice for the town of: Corning, state: New York