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In Memoriam
Hamilton "Rocky" Rothrock
January 17,1939 - October 29, 2010
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Memorial Service: Saturday, December 11, 2010, 4:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County (1475 West Front Street- Lincroft, NJ 07738).
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On Friday, October 29, 2010, while traveling in Antarctica, long time rower, coach and NRR member, Rocky Rothrock passed away.
Navesink River Rowing lost an amazing friend.
 Rocky loved coaching, and some of us were lucky enough to learn to row (or row better) under his patient, thorough instruction.
All of us benefited from his ingenuity, energy and dedication to the NRR community. Whether we needed a power point presentation or space to store a dozen single shells, we could count on Rocky to answer the call.
 It is truly impossible to look around the NRR site without seeing something he helped design and/or build - boat and oar racks, electricity in the shed, wheeled erg platform, the ramp that replaced the rickety warped one we had struggled with for years. The day after a large work party couldn't maneuver that ramp back into place after it was damaged in a storm, Rocky came down with his infamous "move along" contraption, and assisted by just one other person, got the job done.
While news of Rocky's passing came as a shock, where he was and what he was doing at the time, did not. Rocky was an adventurer, world traveller, avid hiker and accomplished nature photographer. In addition to Antarctica, his itinerary for the past year alone included skiing in Utah, hiking in North Carolina and British Columbia and trips to Maine, Mexico, and the Middle East (Jordan).
He will be missed.
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Rocky's family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a charity of your choice that represents their father's life and loves.
"Our father naturally would welcome any donations that celebrate the preservation of the wild beauty of this Earth. He also was a lifetime supporter of 180 Turning Lives Around (1 Bethany Road Building 3 Suite 42- Hazlet, NJ 07730) - a local organization dedicated to victims of domestic violence. He also was an avid supporter of the Appalachian Mountain Club- particularly of the Echo Lake AMC Camp (AMC Echo Lake Camp PO Box 219 Mt. Desert, Maine 04660- note on check for the Rothrock Memorial) where he was well known as a naturalist and teacher of the glory of Mount Desert Island’s Acadia National Park."
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This memorial page is a work in progress. If you have thoughts, memories or photos of Rocky you would like to share, please send them to nrrnews@gmail.com and we will add them here.
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This tribute to my dad and announcement is going out to all of my father's friends. His love of rowing and his stories of you will forever give the Navesink River Rowing Club a special place in my heart.
Sincerely,
His son, Stephen
On October 29th our father left a Russian Icebreaker and flew by helicopter where he landed and set foot upon the ice atop the Weddell Sea near the coast of Antarctica. He walked a mile across that sea ice where he reached the Snow Hill Rookery of four thousand nesting Emperor Penguins. He pulled out his camera to take pictures and fell back and died of a heart attack on the ice. We believe he died of awe.
Dad, my sister and I want to thank you for giving us that memory of you leaving this Earth doing what you loved and fulfilling a lifetime dream. You lived an epic life and died as you lived. We will truly miss you.
My sister and I have been so touched by the outpouring of kindness and support from those who loved our father. Your letters and photos leave us with memories of the joy and passion our father brought to living- and he truly knew how to live. It has been said “Get busy living or get busy dying”. Your memories leave no doubt as to which side of that statement Rocky resided.
As the circle of those who loved our father truly encompassed the Planet we understand that there are many of you who will be unable to attend his service. My sister and I ask if you have stories or pictures of our father that they be sent to us so our children can be nurtured with the splendor of his life.
Thank you for the love and for the travels you shared with Rocky.
We truly miss him, but are equally and deeply amazed by the beauty of his death. It is rare that one can say that a death is beautiful. Our father's death was beautiful and profound-and as your compassion provides comfort so does the image of my father dying of awe on the sea ice off the coast of Antarctica in front of a rookery of 4000 Emperor Penguins fulfilling a lifetime dream.
Well done, Dad. Well done
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Wow! I am speechless and so sad. Rocky always seemed so full of life and invincible, ready for his next adventure. He surely will be missed by everyone who knew him.
Ilene
It's hard to imagine Rocky moving on and out of our lives. There was one day that Eamonn and I spent some "alone time" with Rocky. We dropped down to the site after a bad storm, and Rocky had jacks and pickaxes, and winches, and all manner of things...and he was single-handedly working on restoring the dock to its original placement. The storm had lifted, twisted, and threw our dock way off its moorings. It was a hot, hot day. So, as usual, Eamonn helped, and I offered advice, went for lunch, got a sunburn. It took them hours and hours, but eventually, the dang thing shifted. (Maybe my saying "counter-intuitive" helped.) That day I knew I had met another hero. There aren't that many guys in white hats, but Rocky has my vote.
You know, we are *just* a bunch of people who have this one little thing in common, but I love you all.
So long, Rocky, rest in peace.
Mary Ellen
This is very sad news. I was fortunate to get solo lessons from Rocky last year - he was an inspiration and one of a kind. He had mentioned his travels in passing but never embellished on it. Quite a remarkable life and person. He'll be missed.
Lou
Although I did not know Rocky, he certainly was an amazing man and he made a difference in this world. Perhaps we can all draw comfort from the fact that he died doing what he loved.
Please pass on my deepest sympathy to his family.
Councilwoman Kathy Horgan
Red Bank, NJ
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