Dudley L. Rouse

Born May 29, 1924 in Waco, TX to Lucyle Russell Rouse and Horace Dudley Rouse and a doting Grandmother, Nora Thompson Russell, went to his Heavenly Home Monday, April 14, 2014, one month shy of his 90th birthday.

He attended Waco Public Schools, graduating from Waco High School in May 1942, where he was President of his High School Class of 600, Class Favorite and member of the National Honor Society. He enrolled in Baylor University, Waco in the fall of 1942 and joined the U.S. Air Force in Feb. 1943. He served in the 94th Squadron of the 439th Troop Carrier Group activated on June 1, 1943.

Trained with C-47’s, the Group began duties in the North Africa Campaign carrying supplies to the front lines and evacuating wounded patients to hospitals. He served the Group as a Technical and Medical Asst.

The unit moved to England in Feb. 1944 in preparation of the invasion of the continent and began operations by dropping paratroops of the 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne at St. Mere Eglise in Normandy on the morning of June 6th, 1944. This was followed by releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day. St. Mere Eglise was the first French town liberated from the Germans during the invasion. The Group received a DUC and a French Citation for these missions. They continued ferrying supplies from the U.K. until sent to Italy in July 1944 to transport cargo and evacuate wounded personnel. They also dropped paratroops of the 517th Infantry along the Riviera to spearhead the invasion of Southern France on August 15th 1944 and later towed gliders to provide reinforcements. For these missions, the Group was again cited by the French Government.

The air echelon returned to England Aug. 25, 1944 and the Group moved to France in support of the advancing Allies, dropping paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne and towing gliders of reinforcements during the attack on Holland, Sept. 17-25, 1944 and also participated in the Battle of the Bulge in the same manner for the 101st Airborne in Dec. 1944.

Sergeant Rouse received orders to return to the U.S. to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. He received an Honorable Discharge from the Air Force in New York and joined the Navy the same day. He attended the Naval Academy Prep School and Pharmacy School and chose to serve as a pharmacist at the National Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD rather than continue on at the Academy. He received an Honorary Discharge from the Navy after VE Day in Feb. 1946.

Returning to Waco, he completed a BA Degree from Baylor University in June 1949 and a Master’s Degree from the University of Texas in 1950.

He began his business career as an Instructor in Psychology at Baylor University from 1950-53 and was a Psychiatrist with McClennan County Mental Health Society. He married “the love of his life,” Baylor Grad, Eloise Meadows in Aug. 1952 and returned to U.T. where he completed all his course work towards his Ph.D. in Psychology.

The Rouses moved to Dallas in 1955 where he worked for Mercantile Security Life Insurance Company as an agent and Educational Director from 1955-57 and received an Insurance Marketing Certificate from S.M. U.

He worked for Tempco. Vaught as Personnel Training Director from 1957-58. He joined the staff of Wadley Research Institute and Blood Bank of Dallas as Asst. to the President from 1958-1970, Asst. to the President and Director of Development 1970-1977 and Corp. Secretary and Director of Development of Wadley Institute of Molecular Medicine 1977-1992. During his tenure, Wadley became one of the 10 largest blood banks in the U.S.; employees rose from 23 to 672; and built a new medical complex housing an outpatient clinic of 60-80 patients a day, a 115 bed hospital, a computer science institute and established a research laboratory for blood and cancerous diseases. Dudley was responsible for raising all the funds to build these new facilities.

His civic involvements were numerous. He taught statistics and psychology at Baylor Dental College of Dallas for 14 years. He was Director and Past President of Wadley Leukemia Assn., Director, Dallas Chapter of Leukemia Society of America, Baylor Club of Dallas Director and Program Director, and Trustee of DFW Airport Chaplaincy. He was on the Advisory Board of Communities Foundation of Texas, was a charter member of the Park Cities Rotary Club and looked forward to attending their meetings each Friday until his health declined 3 years ago. He was listed in Who’s Who of Fundraising Executives. At the time of his death, he was a former member of Bookhaven Country Club, Dallas Country Club, Tournament Players Club, Ponte Vedra, Fla. The Pelican Club of Galveston, TX and The Dallas Press Club and Willowbend Polo and Hunt Club. He was a devout member of the First Baptist Church for over 50 years.

Dudley was a genuine, friendly, caring, joyful person. Expressions to describe him by friends and family were “I love his big old bear hugs.” “Everybody loves Dudley.” and “Good ole warm Daddy”. We will treasure memories of the good times we shared. We rejoice that he suffers no more in the arms of his Savior and God. We too will rejoice when we join him there.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eloise Meadows Rouse; a daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Jeff Gill of Dallas; son and wife, Lee Rouse, Jr. and Master Sergeant Paula Rouse of Fayetteville, N.C. and daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth Meadows Rouse and David Watson of New York City; one grandson, Alex Rouse Gill; Godson, Craig Pardue and family of Dallas; brother-in-law and wife, Curtis and Patricia Meadows; three nephews and nieces, Eric and Kathryn Grace Meadows of Beaumont, TX, Michael and Amy Meadows of Dallas and John and Elise Meadows of Atlanta, GA as well as 10 great-nieces and nephews. The family would like to acknowledge the extraordinary love and care of Teri Gill and Felisa Castillo.

A Memorial service will be held at Sparkman Hillcrest Northwest Highway Chapel Friday, April 18, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. with Neal Jeffrey of Prestonwood Baptist Church officiating. A reception will follow in the Sparkman Hillcrest Family Lounge. A private graveside service will be held at Hillcrest Memorial Park prior to the service. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in memory of Dudley Rouse to The Alex Gill Fund for Fragile X Research, Southwestern Medical Foundation, Reagan Place at Old Parkland 3963 Maple Ave Ste 100, Dallas, TX or UTSW Fragile X Clinic, c/o Director, Patricia Evans, M.D., Ph.D. UT Southwestern Medical Center PO Box 91088 Dallas, TX 75391-0888 or a charity of your choice.