Alfred ‘Al’ Rodaway; Retired Businessman

Retired Oxnard business owner Alfred “Al” Rodaway died Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 87.

Rodaway was born in Oxnard May 30, 1911, to Charles and Josephine Rodaway. He was the grandson of Oxnard pioneers Alfred B. Rodaway and Mary Gisler Rodaway.

In 1929, he graduated from Oxnard High School, where he earned varsity letters in four sports and was vice president of his class in 1928.

On May 21, 1935, Rodaway married Louise Carter in a ceremony at the San Buenaventura Mission in Ventura.

Rodaway and his family lived in Oxnard, where he opened his downtown clothing store, Rodaway’s Shop for Men. Rodaway and his wife ran the shop for more than 25 years before retiring.

Rodaway was one of the original members of the Oxnard Planning Commission and was a two-term director for the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce. He was a member and president of the Optimist Club and the Elks Club in Oxnard.

He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus for more than 40 years. He was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Ventura, where he also served as an usher. He enjoyed golf and other outdoor activities.

Rodaway was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, who died about three weeks ago.

Rodaway is survived by two daughters, Carol Blanchard of Oxnard and Ellen Sanders of Camarillo; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A rosary will be recited at 7 tonight at the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home Friday at 10 a.m., led by Father Daniel O’Sullivan of Sacred Heart Church. Interment will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.