Rolla M. Dyer Jr.

Rolla McIntyre Dyer, Jr., age 96, left this world on March 17, 2019 at Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Rolla McIntyre Dyer Jr. was born in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. His father was Rolla McIntyre Dyer and his mother was Nelle Clarkson Dyer. Rolla received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry at Western Kentucky State College during World War 2, where he was also an undergraduate teaching assistant. Rolla served in the United States Navy between 1944 and 1946. He was commissioned as an ensign on the initial crew of USS Portsmouth (CL-102), which was a Cleveland Class light cruiser. After the end of the war, he became a teaching and research assistant at Ohio State University in Columbus, where he met his future wife, Jennie Jean Wilson. They were married in 1947. From 1949 to 1959 Rolla lived in Elizabethtown, Kentucky where he owned and operated a jewelry and watch sales and repair store. Later in 1959 Rolla became a faculty member at Campbellsville College in Campbellsville, Kentucky. The following year Rolla pursued graduate studies at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. Later in 1960 he entered the doctoral chemistry program at University of Louisville and received his PhD in Chemistry in June of 1963. Rolla was then hired as an assistant professor of Chemistry at Northeast Louisiana State College in Monroe, Louisiana from September 1963 until January 1967. In 1967 Rolla joined the faculty of Indiana State University Evansville (now University of Southern Indiana), and eventually served as head of the Math and Science department during the 1970’s. In 1969 or thereabouts he had been made a full professor of Chemistry and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1992. After retirement, Rolla continued to work as a consultant for several years and continued to reside in Evansville until the fall of 2014. He then moved to Clarksville, IN to live near his oldest son, Rolla M. Dyer III. Rolla was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Jennie Jean Dyer (nee Wilson) and his oldest son Rolla McIntyre (Rosanna) Dyer III of Sellersburg, Indiana. Rolla is survived by son, Jeffrey (Vicki) Dyer of Lawrenceville, Georgia and daughter, Rhoda (Frank) Fort of Spanish Fort, Alabama. Rolla is also survived by grandchildren, Rolla McIntyre Dyer IV of Indianapolis, Sarah (James) Smith of Sellersburg, Janelle (Greg) Poulton of Fortuna, California, Barbara Fort of Spanish Fort, Alabama, Russell Fort of Katami, Japan, Daniel Fort of Spanish Fort, and great grandson Luke Smith of Sellersburg. Funeral services will be held at 1 PM on Thursday, March 21, 2019 at Pierre Funeral Home, 2601 W. Franklin Street. Visitation will be on Thursday at the funeral home from 10 AM until the time of service. Burial will follow in Locust Hill Cemetery.

Rolla M. Dyer Jr.

December 30, 1922 - March 17, 2019