Oscar Rothfusz

Oscar Oliver Rothfusz, age 79, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Georgetown, TX, on April 11, 2024.

Oscar was born at home in Forbes, ND, on April 21, 1944, his father’s 46th birthday. He was the youngest child born to John and Lily (Quashnick) Rothfusz. Oscar grew up on a farm 21 miles from anywhere, attended rural elementary school, and graduated from Ashley High School in 1962. He started college in Grand Forks, ND, but left before graduating to serve in the US Navy from 1966 to 1969. He served as a Gun-Fire Control Technician aboard the USS Iredell County and the USS Iwo Jima, spending 33 months in Vietnam. Oscar often said of his time in the service that he would not have wanted to serve one more day but wouldn’t give up the experience for anything. He returned to college while living in Billings, MT, and earned a degree in Business Administration at Eastern Montana College in 1976.

In 1971 Oscar married Fern Entzel. They started their married lives in Fargo, ND, but also lived in Billings and Kalispell, MT; Citrus Heights and Orangevale, CA; and Georgetown, TX. Their two children, Scott and Lindsay, were ever and always his pride and joy.

His years of employment were spent in various industries; retail, military, office equipment sales and service, employment service, insurance sales, tax preparation, operation manager for a defense contractor, procurement, and (his favorite) instrumentation technician. Oscar retired from the City and County of San Francisco in 2005 and they moved to Sun City in Georgetown, Texas. There he loved golfing, his Thursday morning Bible Study Group, and long naps.

Oscar was a Renaissance Man who rarely found a task too big to tackle or a subject that did not interest him – that is unless it involved cooking or cleaning. He was an avid golfer, achieving two holes-in-one and an avid reader, his favorite authors being Louis L’Amour and Clive Cussler.

Diabetes, a heart attack, and a couple strokes took their toll, but Oscar was ever the optimist. He retained his scene of humor and was thankful for each day, always believing that he had so much for which to be thankful.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Lily; brother, Leonard; and his sister, Orpha Hartmann.

Blessed to have shared in his life is his wife of 52 years, Fern Rothfusz, Georgetown, TX; children, Scott (Terri) Rothfusz, Jarrell, TX and Lindsay (Jason) Vorpagel, Meridianville, AL; five grandchildren, Lillian (Christopher) Pearson and Brady Rothfusz; Mikael, Sarah, and Samuel Vorpagel; brother, Calvin (Roseann) Rothfusz, Ashley, ND; and numerous cherished nephews and nieces.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Rothfusz Residence in Georgetown, Texas at 3 PM on Saturday, April 20, 2024. 

Oscar will be laid to rest later this year at the North Dakota Veteran Cemetery in Mandan, North Dakota.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Disabled American Veterans, Support DAV Today! - Donate Today - Disabled American Veterans (DAV)