Newtown Square Man, Boeing Engineer Dies At 81

Obituary courtesy of Frank C. Videon Funeral Home

William Elmer Rumberger, Jr. age 81, a longtime resident of Newtown Square and faithful servant to the Lord Jesus Christ, passed away surrounded by family on September 24, 2017, following a brief illness.

He leaves his wife Bethel of 60 years, four children, 13 grandchildren, three great grandchildren, two siblings, and countless brothers and sisters in Christ.

Bill was born to William and Valinda (Miekley) Rumberger on New Years Day, 1936. The oldest of four, he was raised in Essington, Pennsylvania to faithfully follow in the ways of the Lord. His happy childhood memories include picking wild elderberries on Tinicum island,catching snapping turtles along the banks of Darby Creek, and playing with his dog Buster.While studying civil engineering at Drexel University. Bill interned at Boeing in Ridley Park. He would spend his entire career at Boeing, in transmission and rail car design and testing that utilized his genius in lightweight design. Bill earned numerous patents for his many inventions, including “The Zapper”, a mechanical failure warning system for hydraulic lubrication oil systems, used in helicopter transmissions worldwide, and the “Flex Ring” that enabled the V-22 Osprey wings to be stowed when not in transit. Rumberger’s Flex Ring is described by author Richard Whittle in Dream Machine: the Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey.

Bill met his wife Beth through a youth group at Aldan Union Church. They married in 1957 and began to raise a family, first in Secane and then Newtown Square, where they lived for the past 50 years. Bill’s devotion to his wife was remarkable, as they built a full life of work, sacrifice, service and adventure.

In addition to his busy life as engineer, husband, and father, Bill was very active serving the Lord through people he met at his church, his work, and in every day life. Bill was known for making soup and meals for many, many people of all races and religions who were suffering from sickness and hardship. He and his wife opened their home to those in need of a place to stay, sometimes for years at a time. Bill was active after retirement as he was when he was employed.He volunteered as an engineer through the Water of Life program to help design and install reverse-osmosis clean water systems for rural medical clinics in Vietnam, Romania, and Nigeria. He volunteered for decades at Frederick Douglass Christian School in Chester, improvising costumes and helping the children act out favorite Bible stories. He sang in the choir and served as an elder and board member in churches throughout his life; and he continued to minister to those in need through small acts of great kindness.

Bill will be remembered by his grandchildren for his silly humor, dramatic storytelling, and cabin in Maine. He will also be remembered for his generosity, ingenuity, his homemade sticky buns, his adventurous camping trips, his earnest effort to bring others to Christ, praying with bowed head, singing hymns with his face tilted toward heaven, his continuous service to the God that he loved.

Bill leaves on earth his beloved wife Beth; his son Timothy and wife Amy of Alameda, CA; his daughter Deborah of Helena, MT, his daughter Lisa (Livezey) and husband David of Newtown Square, his son Brian and wife Beth of Quarryville; his brother Daniel and wife Susanna of SiouxCity, IA; his sister Christine Graf and husband George of Ridley Park; his 13 grandchildren; Patrick, Glen Fern, Lilianna, John, Bronwyn, Lindsay, Rosette, Jonquil, William, Liana, Zoey,Connor, and Trevor, three great grandchildren: Iael, Mairi and Samuel; and 10 nieces and nephews. Bill’s death was preceded by his parents and his sister Rebecca.

Arrangements are being made by Frank C. Videon Funeral Home, Broomall. A private burial is
planned. A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, September 30, Proclamation Presbyterian Church, 278 S. Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA It will be followed by a reception where all are invited to share comfort, laughter, tears and fond memories of the legacy left by Bill Rumberger.