Roll Call Tribute

Obituary source unknown

Date of Birth 11/20/1927
Date of Death 04/28/2016

Bob Harrod, the elder son of George Robert and Ruby Aderholt Harrod, was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He and his siblings, Rosemary and Ron, along with their many cousins, shared a loving extended family that valued education, music, strong moral principles, hard work, loyalty and responsibility. These traits stayed with Bob throughout his life, along with a love of travel and the outdoors and a witty sense of humor. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and he was truly an Engineer at heart. He was always tinkering, trying to understand how things worked and doing the household repairs and improvements. He took off a year from his studies for his Army service near the end of WWII. After returning to school, he met the love of his life, Francoise, a French exchange student at a nearby University. They were married January 27, 1951, and were constant companions for over 65 years. Bob's long career as an air conditioning and heating engineer and later in managerial positions at Carrier Corporation took Bob, Francoise, and their daughter Florence from their original home in Houston to positions in San Francisco, California, and Syracuse, New York. They explored their new surroundings, visiting many of the cultural and natural sites in each of those regions of the US. Bob had a great capacity to drive long distances to see this great land of ours. In addition, Bob and Francoise traveled to several island paradises to host "dealer incentive trips" for Carrier. Bob's biggest transfer was to London, England. From there, he and Francoise explored the British Isles, Francoise's native France, and neighboring countries. His final move was to the Carrier office in Livonia, and he and Francoise settled in West Bloomfield, where they stayed beyond his retirement. Throughout his career, Bob enjoyed his work and liked the people that he worked with. His former colleagues and clients remember him for his mentoring, fairness and his characteristic humor. After retirement, Bob was frequently outdoors on the golf course, on hunting trips, or just walking in the woods. He and Francoise continued to travel to see more of the US and other countries. He was a generous host when Francoise's relatives came to visit, introducing them to uniquely American cuisine (peanut butter sandwiches), golfing with them, and sharing lots of laughs. Bob was a devoted father, encouraging Florence to be and do her best. She could be anything she wanted to be, except an Engineer. He could be the stern disciplinarian or the gentle comforter, as needed. They shared their love of nature and the outdoors on many visits to National Parks and other natural areas. He even bought a small sailboat, and they learned to sail together … luckily they were both good swimmers. He and Florence's husband Gary quickly became pals, and both couples went on several vacations together. Everywhere he went, Bob loved to interact with the local children. His friendly demeanor and humor transcended language barriers. His nieces and nephews in the US and France warmly recall his sense of humor and his playful nature. The neighbor children in West Bloomfield would come to the door and ask if Bob could come out to play. The family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to the staff of Arden Courts of Bingham Farm for their caring attention to Bob's health, welfare and happiness for over four years. HARROD, George R. age 88 passed away April 28, 2016. Beloved husband of Francoise for 65 years. Dearest father of Florence Harrod (Gary Johnson). Brother-in-law of Carol Harrod and uncle of Kathy Newland and Karen High. Also leaves many cousins. Memorial Service Wednesday 11am at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 4300 Walnut Lake Rd, West Bloomfield. Aluncheon will follow at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's
Association and Arden Court of Bingham Farms in his name. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob's memory to: Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org , P.O. Box 96011,
Washington, DC 20090-6011 Or Arden Courts of Bingham Farms, 24005 West 13 Mile Road, Bingham Farms, MI 48025
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Sent by widow

George Robert "Bob" Harrod '49

West Bloomfield, Michigan

November 20, 1927 - April 28, 2016

US Army Veteran of World War II

Registered Professional Engineer.

35 year Career as Chief Engineer and District Manager for Carrier Corporation in Heating and Air/Conditioning in several in different regions of the states and Europe.

Survivors: Francoise, wife of 65 years, and one daughter:
Florence Anne.