Robert T. Rector

Robert T. Rector, 80, of 11904 Dawn Drive, Meadville, died Wed. Dec. 10, 2003 at Meadville Medical Center after an extended illness.

He was born in Meadville Dec. 30, 1922, a son of the late James A. & Elizabeth Barrell Rector.  He married Dorothy E. Johnson July 14, 1951 and she preceded him in death Dec. 14, 1980.  He subsequently married Barbara L. DeDionisio Dec. 30, 1983 and she survives.

He was a 1940 graduate of Meadville High School and had attended Allegheny College.  He was a 1948 graduate of Kent State Univ., Kent, OH where he had served as President of the Beta Pi Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi fraternity, and was a member of Blue Key, a National Honor Society.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving from Dec. 1942 to April 1946, with the U. S. Coast Guard having served in the Pacific Theatre of operations.

He was employed by the First National Bank of Meadville, now PNC Bank, in May 1953, and retired in 1987 after 34 years of service.  He had served as president of the Crawford Chapter of the American Institute of Banking, completed the Pennsylvania Bankers Assn. School at Bucknell Univ., Lewisburg in 1958, and graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers Univ, New Brunswick, NJ in 1964.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of Allegheny Casualty Company, Meadville, a member of Masonic Lodge #234, Meadville, the Scottish Rite Bodies of New Castle, and a former member of Kismet Grotto, Meadville, Zem Zem Shrine Temple, Erie, the Crawford County Shrine Club, the Meadville Country Club and the Iroquois Boating and Fishing Club of Conneaut Lake.

Mr. Rector’s civic involvement included having served as Treasurer of the Crawford County Chapter of the American Cancer Society, Chairman of the Local Board #51 of the Selective Service System, officer of the Crawford County Mental Health Assn., a board member of the Meadville Area Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals for the City of Meadville.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Meadville.

Survivors, in addition to his wife of 20 years, include 1 daughter, Suzanne E. Watral of Naples, FL; 1 son, Robert T. Rector, Jr. and his wife Joyce of Katy, TX; 3 grandchildren, Lindsay and Katie Watral and Elizabeth Rector; 1 brother, James B. Rector of Akron, OH; 2 step-sons Frank DeDionisio of Erie and Larry DeDionisio of San Francisco, CA; 1 step-daughter, Diane Salter of Erie; 7 step-grandchildren and 2 step-great-grandchildren.

Calling hours will be Sunday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. at the Robert W. Waid Funeral Home, Inc., 581 Chestnut St., Meadville.

Funeral services will be Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. Brian Jensen, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church officiating.

Burial will be in Greendale Cemetery.