Dr. Rodger T. Dombrow of Lansdale Dr. Rodger T. Dombrow, 94 of Lansdale formerly of Lafayette Hill, passed away on February 2, 2016 peacefully and in the company of his children. Dr. Dombrow was born in Freedom, NY in July 1921, graduated from Central High and earned three degrees from Temple University, including his EdD in education in 1960. His career in education stretched over more than three decades and included being the first principal of Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Chairman of the Education Department at what is now Arcadia University and Superintendent of Upper Moreland School District. In addition to being a passionate educator, Dr. Dombrow was a dedicated sailor, serving in the Navy during WWII as the Commanding Officer of the USS Seagull, a minesweeper based in the North Atlantic and South Pacific, a tour that earned him a letter of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy. He served in Korea as well, as an Operations Officer at the U.S. Naval Center in Bainbridge, Maryland, where he established and scheduled school for 25,000 recruits and 800 instructors, earning a letter of commendation from the Lt. Commander of the US Naval Reserve. Dr. Dombrow was at the forefront of the digital revolution, participating in an NBC series in 1964 called “Man’s Newest Servant, The Electronic Computer,” which accurately predicted about 20 percent of the computer developments in medicine, government, science, communications, business and education that have come to pass over the last 30 years. The same year he presented a faculty lecture at Beaver College in cooperation with IBM, General Electric, Univac, Ampex and Bell Telephone on “Electronics and the Schools of the Future.” From 1980-1982 Dr. Dombrow served as the Superintendent for Eastern Montgomery County Vocational/Technical School, and in 1983, he was invited to apply for the position of Commissioner of Basic Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has served on the Whitemarsh Township School Board, the Plymouth Whitemarsh Joint School Board and is a past President of both the Montgomery County Principals Association and the Montgomery County Education Association. After retiring from education, Dr. Dombrow spent 15 years as a consultant at Lincoln Investment Planning, assisting teachers and other educators with their retirement plans. In addition, he has consulted widely in his fields of expertise, including on computer management of school construction for Abington and Upper Merion schools; on education administration for the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ; on the application of electronics to education for General Electric, IBM and Bell Telephone; and on Managing the Building Program for the Colleges of Pennsylvania for the PA State Legislature’s Appropriations Committee. Rodger is survived by his daughters, B. Carryl Laprairie and Joan E. Engel; his three grand-children, Stacey, Paul, and Mickey; and 10 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife, R. Caroline, and his son-in-law, Rogers LaPrairie. Memorial services and internment will be private. Memorial donations may be made to deserving students graduating from the school he helped found via the Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School Scholarship fund electronically at: Http://www.colonialsd.org/support-colonial/pwhs-scholarship-fund or by mail to PWHS Scholarship Fund, Attn: Bernie Biasi, 201 E. Germantown Ave., Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. Funeral arrangements are by the Lownes Family Funeral Home of Lafayette Hill, Pa. www.lownes.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Times Herald from Feb. 3 to Feb. 4, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for Rodger Dombrow

Sponsored by TimesHerald.com.

5 Entries

Sue Morrissey Moore

January 28, 2023

Dr Dombrow was my introduction to education as a career. He taught us Binary and predicted the computer age.

Carole Hritz

January 28, 2019

A graduate of 1961, Rodger Dombrow was the absolute best and respected principal of all times. I eventually had a business career in a high school and oh how I wished he could have been there. We need more Rodger Dombrows

February 11, 2016

I was a student of his at Beaver College. I didn't major in education but took his Intro to Education class. I retired as a school administrator in 2006 and credit him with much of my enthusiasm and success in the world of computers in education.

Faith Culen

February 7, 2016

To the Dombrow Family,

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your Father.

As a member of the first graduating class of PW and having your Father as our Principal was one of the best part of my school years. He was a wonderful man that guided many of our class members to a good life.

He had such high values and standards and conveyed this to the students. I am so pleased that he was a part of my high school years.

With Deepest Sympathy,
Faith Haines Cullen
Class of 56

February 5, 2016

Dear Dombrow Family,
Your Dad was truly The Best !! He was an innovative, authoritative administrator at PWHS, in it's formative years. He hired the best teachers, coaches & music dept, that shaped all of our futures !!
While walking down the halls, he commanded respect, yet had time for each and every student., and we learned from , simply , his presence.
In a brand new suburban high school, he shaped the school, our colors, our alma mater anthem, our mascot, Mr. Colonial , and imparted Dignity , respect and grace to all.
You should be so proud of him.
Our sincerest sympathies to you and your families.,...the passing of a Legend, your Dad.

Very Sincerely,
Karen Rhodes Kircher, '61and Buzz Kircher, '56

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 results