Rodney Delano (R.D., Rod) Fogo, 89, former CEO and chief engineer of the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), died Nov. 16, 2022, in Saint Augustine, Florida.
Rod was the youngest of 12 children, born during the Great Depression to William Lambie and Nellie Sinaloa (Calahan) Fogo on their farm outside Burr Oak, Kansas, in Jewell County on Oct. 27,1933. His stories of farm-life were quite entertaining to his many friends and family members.
Upon graduating from Burr Oak High School, Rod enrolled in engineering at Kansas State University. When his older brother was drafted during the Korean War, he left school and returned to Burr Oak to run his parents' farm.
After farming for two years, Rod was drafted into the Army's 1st Cavalry Division serving in northern Japan, spending 18 months as an Army Ski Trooper near Sapporo. He later became company clerk. When his enlistment was up, he re-enrolled in civil engineering at Kansas State, where he graduated with honors in 1959.
On June 8, 1957, Rod married Rada June McCormick, daughter of James Smith and Eva Elizabeth (Stanton) McCormick. Rod and Rada met in Burr Oak elementary school when they
were in the sixth and fifth grades respectively.
Rod began his professional career as a design engineer for the City of Wichita before becoming the county engineer for Jewell County. In 1964, he was employed as an instructor at Kansas State in the civil engineering department while working on a graduate program in traffic and transportation engineering. When his coursework was completed, he was offered an assistant engineer-manager position with the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA). In 1975, Rod was promoted to chief engineer-executive officer of the KTA. During his tenure, he was able to institute many improvements for the employees, customers and troopers. Some of his accomplishments included adding guard rails around bridge piers and abutments, as well as 236 miles of median concrete barriers. Annual fatalities fell from a high of 54 to six under his tenure.
Rod also oversaw the installation of new computer technologies as well as the K-Tag program for automatic toll collection. One of his highlights was providing the turnpike troopers with automatic pistols, later expanding this contribution to all Kansas state troopers when taxpayer funds were not available.
In 1984, Rod was named president of the prestigious International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Authority (IBTTA), during their annual meeting in Venice, Italy. This distinction provided an opportunity to travel the world while sharing "best practices" with colleagues worldwide.
After retiring, he and his wife moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to be near their daughter, son and grandchildren. In 2014, Rod, Rada June and their daughter, moved to Saint Augustine, Florida, and their final retirement home.
Upon arriving in Saint Augustine, Rod was an immediate hit in the neighborhood. A regular at trivia night, he was adopted as an "honorary uncle " by three neighbors with whom he went on daily bike rides and occasional meals at the Waffle House. As age prevented the bike rides, he became an avid genealogist of his family's ancestry. Updating his extensive database was a daily hobby. Whenever a repairman or visitor came to the house, Rod would strike up a conversation about that person 's family history. On more than one occasion, he would uncover a related connection between them and his family.
Rod was famous for his vast repertoire of stories; entertaining family and friends for hours. He captured these stories and life experiences in a four-volume book, providing the next generation with a wonderful account of "a life well-lived."
Rod leaves behind his wife of more than 65 years; daughter, Karen (Fogo) See; son, Michael Fogo, Washington, DC; granddaughter, Rachel See, Atlanta, Georgia; grandson, Kevin See, Saint Augustine, and brother and sister-in-law, John and Eleta McCormick, St. Marys, Georgia.
At his request, there will be no funeral, but rather a celebration of life to be held upon the death of his wife, Rada June. He elected to be cremated and have his ashes kept by his family until suitable inurnment takes place in the National Cemetery in Jacksonville, Fla. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name with the Tunnel 2 Tower (www.t2t.org) for wounded warriors.
For additional information, contact:
Karen See; 678-523-9378; [email protected]
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