Rowland Ellsworth Dumm

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Mathew 25:21 Rowland Ellsworth Dumm, sometimes fondly know by his initials RED, 87, passed away peacefully in his sleep on a quiet sunny afternoon – a fitting end to a long and eventful life. He was born in Cridersville, Ohio to Rowland Eugene Dumm and Lura McPheron Dumm, just twelve days before Christmas 1924. Rowland was the oldest of four boys all very close in age. He and his brothers, Donald, Fredrick and Richard, grew up in rural Ohio and knew their share of hardship. They lost their mother when Rowland was only seven years old. Times were tough in the Great Depression and all of the boys were raised in a life of hard physical labor and strict discipline. Rowland was educated in a true “one room school house” where children from first to eighth grade were all taught by one teacher. His passion was reading and he spent every spare moment he had buried in a good book. He read biographies and fiction and was especially fond of Flash Gordon and “stories he could get lost in.” He had an excellent memory and could easily give a book report in school after just looking up the author and title of any book he had read. By 1942 he was a sophomore in High School but begged his father for permission to drop out. He wanted to enlist in the Navy and serve in World War II, which seemed like a great adventure. His father would not let him enlist, but give permission for Rowland to leave school and go to work in a local foundry. Demonstrating the determination that would become a hallmark of his character throughout life, Rowland kept after his father until he was allowed to enlist in the United States Navy in January 1943, just after turning 18. He trained as a gunner and was assigned to the USS Gillette, DE 681, a destroyer escort commissioned in October 1943. As Captain of Gun Crew #1 Rowland was justifiably proud of his service record in both the Atlantic and Pacific arenas. He traveled to numerous ports in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean and on to Bora Bora, the Galapagos Islands, the Philippine Islands, Okinawa and ended the war in Tokyo Bay, Japan. From 1943 to 1946, the USS Gillette traveled over 125,000 nautical miles, with 100,000 miles of convoy duty and only lost one ship. In 1946 Rowland was awarded the Victory Medal for his service to his country during World War II. During the war years, while on shore leave in his home port of Boston, Rowland fell in love with a young Italian girl, Margaret Sarno. They were faithfully married for forty-five years and had three children. Rowland had a huge heart and a positive and optimistic attitude toward life. One of the things he regretted most was that he was unable to spend more time with his children Judy, Rowland, and Priscilla, as they were growing up – to show them how special they were to him. Times were so difficult that he was often forced to take jobs in distant locations and even when he found work nearer to home, he had to work long hours to support his family. Rowland held a number of jobs after the war, first as an enlisted man in the Army, then as a guard and investigator at Pinkerton’s Detective Agency. For a while he worked with his brother Fred as an insurance agent, but then settled down for a twenty-year career working his way up the ladder into upper management with a number of prominent foundries across the mid-west. He loved to work and excelled at everything he did. Rowland was successful because he had a rare combination of cheerful optimism, and innate intelligence, combined with an amazing ability to organize logistics and solve problems. Whatever needed doing, he would figure out a way to get it done. He wasn’t afraid of changing technology and kept on learning all of his life. In his 80s he knew as much about computers and home networking as any teenager! Rowland was also a deeply spiritual man. In the mid 1970s he began to investigate the Mormon Religion and accepted it without reservation. He was active in the church, a priesthood holder and served in a number of callings. Rowland was generous of spirit and tolerant of the beliefs of others. After Margaret died in 1991 he remarried Virginia Ferrar who attended a different church. So they alternated attendance at each church every other Sunday. In the mid 1990s, after Rowland retired from the foundries, they moved to Venice, Florida. The pastor of Virginia’s Church was looking for someone to take over a building project to add a wing with a fellowship hall onto the church. When no one came forward, Rowland volunteered and went about the task with his usual industry and efficiency. Even though Virginia was taken ill and passed away, during the course of the project, Rowland completed the wing and fellowship hall for her church. The congregation was so grateful they put up a plaque and dedicated the new wing as the “Rowland Ellsworth Dumm Fellowship Hall.” Rowland served the Venice Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with equal industry working as a Home Teacher and in the demanding calling of Executive Secretary to the Branch President and two Venice Ward Bishops. His skillful ability to organize schedules and keep meetings moving along with diplomacy and good humor, earned him the admiration of all. One of the most extraordinary aspects of Rowland’s character was his love of adventure and willingness to believe that with God, all things are possible. In 2007 at age 82, Rowland embarked on one of the biggest and happiest adventures of his long life – he decided to try on-line dating! After just one week he met Daphne Taylor Boring and soon knew that, in her he had found a love that would last for this lifetime and beyond. On March 1, 2008, he married Daphne in the Orlando Temple and they were sealed to each other as husband and wife for all of eternity. The last four years of Rowland’s life were among the happiest, full of joy, love and service. He and Daphne built a new home in Venice, traveled across America by car and motor home and spent time with their friends and family. They helped those in need, attended church faithfully and truly were loved and blessed by all who knew them. Rowland remained active and alert until the end of his days. When his time came, true to his nature, he didn’t linger – in the peace of a sunlit afternoon, he slipped quietly away, left his body behind and stepped into eternity.