Tom Dowding

What a great website! I can't tell you how many times in my mind I've gone down the Rohr Industries Memory lane. I've worked for several companies since leaving Rohr - Sheridan in 1992. Rohr will always be the best place in the world to have worked where I had the time of my life. I will never forget all those great Rohr Family Christmas parties for the kids in the cafeteria and then at the Castle, Rohr Days at Disneyland, Rohr Softball and Bowling leagues, buying Christmas gifts at the Rohr Tool Store, the girls in the Credit Union, my Employee of the Month dinner, Rohr Open House and all those great Rohr friends. So many great memories.

Next to Jerry Myers and Earl (Oink) Johnson I probably hold the record for working in the most Rohr Plants. Rohr - Riverside, Rohr - Arlington, Rohr - Edgemont, Rohr – Heber Springs, Rohr – Foley, Rohr – Auburn and Rohr – Sheridan. I also had some short visits to Rohr - Chula Vista and Rohr - Fairhope.

June of 1979 Rohr Riverside is where it all started and the best Plant of them all. I still remember my Badge # 97963_ working as a Structural Assembler "B" in Dept. 072 for Jerry Yingst on the 747 Nose Cowl line. What a great crew we had. I (Tom Dowding), Ken (Crowfoot) Duncan, Joe Gomez, Jerry (Lover boy) Valdez, Doug (Stop Sign) Stokes and Frank (Turtle) Garcia were the new kids on the block. We had great Structural Assembler "A" mentors who soon became our friends as they taught us the ropes. Richard Amador, Don Wiley, Jack Fishel, Pete Ramirez Sr, Bernie & Les , Don (Okie) Edmonds, Robbie Robertson, Ray Porter and sweet Lucille (the Sealer). There were many others but I just can't remember names like I used to.

I held several job titles until my departure in 1992. (Riverside) Structural Assembler, (Riverside) Jig & Fixture Tool Builder, (Riverside) Tooling Inspector, (Riverside) R&D Technician, (Riverside) CMM Quality Engineer, (Auburn) Tooling Inspector and (Sheridan) Quality Engineer - Tooling.

Some of the great Supervisors I worked for were: Jerry Yingst, Bob Myers, Bill Bush, Zeke Thomas, Charlie Phunder, Rocky Meadows, Dave Miller, Jerry Myer, Paul Ballow, JD Drayton. Again some full names I can't remember like Supervisor Allen in Tooling Inspection & Supervisor Bob in R&D and Supervisor Roman in CMM.

I will dig around at home storage for some Rohr Riverside photos. I'm thinking I have some photos from 7R4/ PW4000, RB211 and V2500 crews. Thanks for keeping the dream alive. I can still taste those great lunch time cheeseburgers from the Harbor.

Best regards,

Tom Dowding

V2500 Support Team. Photograph courtesy of Tom Dowding.