Robert Joseph Houdesheldt's Obituary
Captain’s Log, Stardate 8217.1 – Robert Joseph Houdesheldt, 88, of St. Petersburg, FL and Culpeper, VA, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, entered the afterlife the morning of August 21, 2017 at Bay Pines VA Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL. Known as Butch to his niece and nephews, Howdy to others, Opa to his grandchildren, he lived a full and rich life, accompanied on his journey over the last 63 years by his devoted wife, Doris Joanne (Noack) Houdesheldt. He was blessed with 2 children: son, Bruce (Shelley) of Roseville, CA, and daughter, Marcia Maitland (David, Sr.) of Culpeper, VA. He is survived as well by his grandchildren, David L. Maitland, Jr., Charlotte A. Maitland, and Harrison C. Houdesheldt, who brought him great joy.
Robert began his life in Rockford, IL, the son of Paul W. and Hazel K. (Swinford) [Houdesheldt] Asprooth, on March 7, 1929. As he tells it, he tried to run away from home, but fate intervened when he ended up knocking on the front door of the sheriff’s house!
He was preceded in death by his parents, his step-father George W. Asprooth, brother Paul, and his sister Helen Fealy.
He first served his country in the Berlin Airlift, at the end of World War II, turning 18 on the ship over to his first duty station. He subsequently served his country on the battlefield in Korea, then continued his Army career for an additional 20+ years. He was stationed in Japan, Okinawa, and Turkey in addition to postings in the continental US, concluding his career, honorably discharged from the Army as a Staff Sergeant, at Fort George G. Meade, Laurel, MD.
After retiring, he began the next phase of his adventures in life, with the City of College Park, MD, as supervisor in the Public Works department. This led him to open his own business, BBD Lawn Corps, Crofton, MD. He gained many loyal customers through his excellent service, and began tinkering with small engine repair at his shop, becoming a certified Briggs and Stratton dealer and mechanic.
He believed character was built through hard work and attention to detail. He equally valued creativity and ingenuity. He was a real-life MacGyver, turning our unfinished basement into a family rec room (after removing all the sheet metal ceiling and walls the previous owner had put in place) with a bar, made by using repurposed materials from discarded sheds, fences and a little sheet metal!
Not only did he view things through a different lens and filter than others, his contrarian nature was meant to be thought provoking – he greatly succeeded at his objective! 😊 He understood the importance of higher education, beginning his college career by first graduating from high school through correspondence courses while stationed in Berlin, Germany; then began the 24-year college career through true distance learning from the University of Maryland University College; a unique educational learning experience during the 50s and 60s. He graduated in May 1977 with a B.S. in Business.
Upon moving from Maryland to the countryside of Culpeper, VA, to be closer to his grandchildren, he began 2 more diverse adventures in life: (1) working for the Company training others in observation techniques vital for survival, and (2) his first love, gardening. He planted a large vegetable garden, experimenting with new vegetables each year as customer demands changed, and delighted in having his nearby grandchildren help him with the harvest. Charlotte would tell her Opa that her helping him in the garden and at the Culpeper Farmer’s Market is what instilled her love of agriculture; of course getting paid in those early days in ice cream didn’t hurt either!!
He had some favorite radio and television characters, which in addition to real life people in his formative years, added to his character building: on the radio his family would tune into ‘The Shadow’, thus he became an avid listener and would often quote to his children, “Only the Shadow Knows”, especially when he somehow managed to find out just what we were up to! Anther favorite was James Gardner in ‘The Rockford Files’, and probably his all-time favorite, NCIS’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon. His family was known to call him to discuss the latest NCIS show. He lived by Gibbs’ rules before they were even called Gibbs Rules and imparted the same wisdom to his children and grandchildren.
Through his love for science fiction, beginning with Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, then reading Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein; a curiosity in planetary exploration was ignited which led to his love of Star Trek and the sharing of this love. He lives on through each of us in different and unique ways. This is his eternal gift to us.
So it is fitting that on the day of the Great American Eclipse, he would take his final journey, gaining a front-row seat at the event he was looking forward to the most.
Visitation will be on Sunday November 12, 2017, from 5:00-7:00 PM at Found and Sons, Sperryville Pike, Culpeper, VA. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Monday November 13, 2017, 11:00 a.m., at Precious Blood Catholic Church, Culpeper, followed by internment at Culpeper National Cemetery, then immediately followed by a Celebration of Life at the Parish Hall of Precious Blood Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to: Army Emergency Relief (Arlington, VA), Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (Wellesley Hills, MA), Fisher House Foundation (Rockville, MD), PAWS Chicago (Chicago, IL).
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