Floyd Rodmyre

Floyd Rodmyre

Floyd Joel Gordon Rodmyre went home to his Savior 92 years and 10 months after his arrival on a frigid November 4th morning, 1921. He walked his entire life in faith; having been baptized and confirmed at Palmyra Lutheran Church in rural Hector, MN. He graduated from Bird Island High School.

His academic pursuits at Augsburg College were interrupted by WWII. With millions of other brave Americans, he volunteered to fight the evil that was growing in the world. In the U.S. Army Air Corps, he was in the 31st Fighter Group, 308th Fighter Squadron. Due to the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, he was one of few Americans who had the opportunity to fly the British Spitfire in his missions over Malta, Sicily, Italy and Austria, covering the invasion of Italy and later switching to the American Mustang to escort bombers on their deep runs to the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. He loved to tell anyone who wanted to listen how he loved flying the top two fighters, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal, the Air Medal, with fifteen Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Unit Badge, and a Purple Heart. He was honored by the country of Malta on the 50th anniversary of their liberation, and maintained life-long friendships with his war brothers. He was the last of his 42-J Spitfire pilots to die.

After the war, he returned to the U of MN to get his degree and was introduced to his future wife, Marg by his childhood friend, Marvin Mork. They were married in 1948, and were blessed with three children.

After graduating from the U, his professional life started at the Seeger Corporation, which was then purchased by Whirlpool in St. Paul, where he worked for 38 years. He raised his family to love God, and instilled in them a love for their country, spending road trip vacations stopping at every historic sign, monument and site, and many national parks. He devoted hours to Pilgrim Lutheran in South Minneapolis, serving on the School Board, the Boy Pioneers organization, and Pilgrim Church Council as Treasurer and President. He also spent incalculable hours on the Board of Regents at St Croix Lutheran High School, in West St Paul, MN as that school grew. He and Marg maintained their membership at Pilgrim after moving to Eagan, MN in 1968, due to bonds of friendship within their church family.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Lila; and his beloved son, David. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Margaret; son, Stephan and wife Jane of Seattle, WA; daughter-in-law, Dee Rodmyre of St Cloud, MN; and daughter Jane and husband Walter Payfer, of Wayzata, MN; 9 grandchildren; 19 great grand-children; his sister Dory Johnson of Almelund, MN; brother Rolf and Harriet Rodmyre of Hector, MN; and sister-in-law, Bernice Harms of CA; and 15 dear nieces, nephews and their families.