Robert L. Rimrodt

Robert L. Rimrodt

Cedar Rapids

First Sergeant Robert Lee Rimrodt (U.S. Army, Retired), aged 81, passed away on December 20, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Services will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories with burial in the Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

Born in Cedar Rapids on December 18, 1942, Robert graduated from Jefferson High School in 1961. The creative arts came easily to Robert, and during high school he sang in the Jefferson High School choir and was an active member of TJHS Thespians Troop 561, performing his senior year as Hortensio in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and becoming a Jefferson Fine Arts Alumni.

Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Des Moines, Iowa on December 20, 1963, in 1964 and spent his first assignment in Ankara, Turkey with the Turkish-United States Logistical Group Detachment 27 as a Basic Non-Morse Intercept Operator. He attended the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in 1973 and in 1974 became a supervisor in Advanced Cryptology.

During his more than 20 years of Active-Duty service, Robert supported overseas Army Intelligence missions in Ankara and Sinop, Turkey; Taipei, Taiwan; Udorn Thailand; Okinawa, Japan; and Athens, Greece.

He was deeply proud and committed to his military service, and before his retirement in 1986 he had been awarded three Army Meritorious Service Medals for exceptional service to United States National Security, was an instructor for “A” School in Senior Military Cryptology Training and had supported the National Security Agency in implementing cryptology programs and systems that are still in existence today. He retired as Chief, Mission Management Branch of the Consolidated Security Operations Center at U.S. Army Field Station San Antonio, Texas, on September 1, 1986.

While in the service, Robert took photography courses from Los Angeles Community College and attended courses offered by the University of Maryland, receiving an Associate of Arts Degree from the University of Maryland in 1984. Upon retirement, in 1987 he earned an Associate of Science Degree in Management Development Technology, Kirkwood Community College.

Robert loved driving and exploring, and during his time in the military, he enjoyed visiting and photographing the cities and scenic byways of his overseas tour destinations. He cruised on his Kawasaki motorcycle to beaches and inlets across Okinawa, and published travel stories about hiking the island’s sub-tropical environs to reach inland waterfalls in Okinawa military travel magazines. He similarly captured beautiful photos of Ancient Greek Ruins and the Pyramid of Hellenikon during backroad excursions around Athens, with Seals and Crofts’ tunes playing on the tape deck of this VW Bus. Robert didn’t always explore solo; in July of 1971, he cross country road-tripped the whole family in their 1967 Plymouth Fury II station wagon from Washington, D.C. to Seattle, Washington, for their relocation to Taipei, Taiwan.

Robert leaves behind a family who loved him dearly. He is survived by son Mark Alan Kueny of Montclair, Virginia; daughter Monica Renee Kueny of Hope Mills, North Carolina; daughter Cynthia Lee Houston of Alexandria, Virginia; son and daughter-in-law James Rimrodt Houston and Kathryn (Wagner) Houston of Newport, Rhode Island; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters Shirlene Robinson, Reverend Rosalie Rimrodt, Bonita Rimrodt-Primrose, and brother SFC Ernest W. Rimrodt (U.S. Army, Retired).

Preceded in Death by Father Ernest C. Rimrodt, Mother Irene F. (Primrose) Rimrodt, and sister Joan A. (Rimrodt) Markwell.

Online condolences may be left for the family at cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.