Richard "Dick" Joseph Rolwing

Born on March 18, 1929, Richard Joseph “Dick” Rolwing, our “Pop”, went to his Glory on January 14, 2026, at the age of 96 surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Indiana to Edward and Rose Rolwing, the second of five children, and he survived his four dear siblings and their spouses.  He was raised in Cairo, Illinois, during the Great Depression, and then spent ten years in the seminary between 1947 and 1960. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from St. Paul’s College at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and his Master’s degree in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 1964.  He then met the love of his long life, Patricia Ann Gardner, while teaching at Edgewood College, and they married in 1964 in Madison Wisconsin. After completing his Doctoral studies at the University of Iowa, he taught Theology at the Universities of Iowa, Xavier, and Dayton for many years before entering the business world to support his own family of five children.  He and Patty were married over 61 years, and raised their children in a small house in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, where they resided until his death.  He is survived by his wife Patty, his five children Jon (Amy) and their four children, Emily, Father Joseph Rolwing, Patty (CJ) Botti, and Maggie; Julia Rose; Rich (Krista) and their son Nate; Mary Jane (and her children); and Patrick (Andriana) and their son Lucas.  Pop was generous, good, deep, funny, quirky, odd, athletic, a devotee of the outdoors, and a lover of the One Holy Apostolic Roman Catholic Church, to which he devoted most of his adult life as a lector, a member of the Knights of Columbus, a volunteer, rabble rouser, Eucharistic minister, and apologist. His activities and interests were varied, too many to describe, and often truly unbelievable, and he wrote a series of books, essays, many op-eds, gave lectures, and participated in numerous Catholic academic associations around the country. He and Patty welcomed foster children, runaways, and others in need into their home. He also fished, camped, rafted, sang in the church choir, and played basketball most of his life, with a crazy winning record in the GusMacker basketball tournament at the age of 66 with his three sons as teammates.

Visitation services with the family will be held at Cotner Funeral Home, 7369 E. Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2026, and beginning at 4:00 p.m. a prayer service will be conducted by Dick's grandson, Fr. Joseph Rolwing followed by an open period of time for anyone to share a story or eulogy of Dick with the family.  A Mass of Christian Burial for Dick will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 1051 S. Waggoner Road, Reynoldsburg, Ohio  on Monday, January 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. followed by Christian burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Pataskala.  A luncheon will follow the committal back at St. Pius X Msgr David Funk Family Center.  

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