Roger John Runck

Roger John Runck died December 20, 2009, in Grand Junction, Colorado, age 97.

Mr. Runck received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. While an undergraduate, he won a national award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers for his process for recovering magnesium from the Great Salt Lake.

During World War II, Mr. Runck worked in the research department of Metal & Thermit Corporation in Rahway, New Jersey, where he developed thermite weapons for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services. He also earned a Master of Science in Metallurgy from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Mr. Runck moved to Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, in 1947, where he became director of the Defense Metals Information Center. Working on a contract with the Department of Defense, DMIC disseminated technical information about special metals used in aircraft, missiles and other weapon systems. As director, Mr. Runck traveled extensively, giving presentations to international audiences on the development and uses of materials in aerospace vehicles.

After retiring from Battelle, Mr. Runck worked for the Department of Energy, Rifle, Colorado, in the development of oil shale mining and extraction, and served as the founding president of the International Precious Metals Institute, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and later as editor of their journal, Precious Metals News International.

Mr. Runck was born May 24, 1912 in Dolores, Colorado to Philip and Anna Marsh Runck. He leaves two sons, Robert and his wife Sallie of Boston, Massachusetts, and Robin and his wife, Connie of Los Angeles, California, and two daughters, Lahna Neely and her husband, Dr. Matthew Neely, of Winchester, Virginia , and Rhonda Runck of Columbus, Ohio; four grandchildren, Brian Runck, of Boston, Jocelyn and Garrett Runck, of Los Angeles, and Matthew Neely of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; two sisters, Mildred Beck and Ruth Smoot, of Cortez, Colorado. His wife, Theodora Ridgway Runck, to whom he had been married for 69 years, died in 2003.

Mr. Runck will be buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Rifle, Colorado. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, or to the Rifle Public Library in memory of his wife, Theodora.

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