Henry C. Groseclose III

Henry Caspar Groseclose III, 85 of Hampstead, NC passed away Wednesday, January 6, 2010. He was born in Roanoke, VA on October 25th, 1924. The son of Dorothy Saxton and Henry C. Groseclose II, he grew up in Blacksburg and Ceres, VA and attended Virginia Tech. At the outbreak of WWII, he enlisted in the Navy and spent 1944-1946 serving most of his time on the USS Tortuga as a radio technician 1st class. While on board ship, he spent most of his time in the Pacific Theatre seeing action in Okinawa and surviving a Typhoon that claimed 34 sailors' lives and sank 3 ships. After the war, he finished his degree in Chemical Engineering at VA Tech and then completed his master's degree in Philadelphia, where he began his career with The Union Oil Company. He later worked for American Viscose in Front Royal, VA and then onto DuPont where he had a 27 year career which began in Richmond, VA. His DuPont journey started on the Nomex project as a chemical engineer. He changed career paths into personnel which took Henry and his family to Wilmington, DE, Kinston, NC and then Front Royal, VA where he was the first DuPont employee to be on the payroll for the new Front Royal Paints and Finishes Plant in 1980. He was always very active in community affairs. While in Kinston, NC he served on the United Way Committee, the Kinston Harmony Hall Bicentennial Committee and the Rotary Club to name a few. While in Front Royal, VA he was the local chapter president of Ducks Unlimited. Henry retired from DuPont in 1990 and spent his retirement years in Hampstead, NC where he played enough golf to have his normal "foursome" on the courses before his health limited his activities. Henry was fortunate the last two and a half years of his life to be a resident of the Woodbury Wellness Center where he leaves behind a very loving and caring staff. He also leaves behind his AA family. He was preceded in death by his parents, his spouses, Joyce Bragg and Mary Widener, and his brother LTC Tom S. Groseclose. He is survived by his son and daughter, Warren P. Groseclose and Virginia G. Atkinson, a son in law Michael Atkinson all of Richmond and by his stepmother, Marie Groseclose, of Bland, VA. He is also survived by his 4 grandchildren, William, Michael and David Groseclose and Dalton Atkinson and by his brother's two sons, George & Tommy Groseclose. A time of visitation for family and friends will be 6 to 8 pm Friday, January 8, 2010 at Andrews Mortuary Hampstead Chapel, 17730 Hwy. 17 N, Hampstead, NC. Graveside services will be 1 pm Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at Hollywood Cemetery, 412 S. Cherry Street, Richmond, VA. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society.