Submitted by: Dan Rich
Roland Obenchain
Feb. 29, 1916 - Dec. 25, 1997
South Bend Tribune 1/6/1998
Roland Obenchain, 81, a retired South
Bend attorney, died after an illness of two weeks on Thursday,
Dec. 25, at the Lake Placid Health Care Center in Lake Placid,
Fla. ''Obie'' had been a winter resident of Lake Placid for 10
years, and had spent the summers in Bridgman, Mich. Before
retiring from the South Bend law firm of Jones, Obenchain, Ford,
Pankow, Lewis and Woods in July 1985, he as an active member of
the community. Born in South Bend, Ind., on Feb. 29, 1916, Obie
graduated from Indiana University in 1937. He received his
Bachelor of Laws degree in 1940 from the University of Michigan
Law School. He then served in the Army Air Corps during World War
II, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Obie was past president of the St. Joseph
County Bar Association and he served the Indiana State Bar
Association in many capacities. He was also a member of the
American Bar Association. He served as Indiana State Chairman and
member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of
Barristers, and was also a Fellow in the American College of
Trial Lawyers. A 32nd degree Mason and a 50 plus year member,
Obie served as Past Master of South Bend Lodge No. 294, F. &
A.M., and was a member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite
Valley of South Bend and the Orak Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. of Michigan
City, Ind. Continuing his interests in the Masons in Florida, he
became a member of the Lake Placid High Twelve Club No. 595. Obie
was a privileged member of the Kiwanis Club of South Bend as well
as a member of the Legion of Honor of Kiwanis International. He
was also a proud member of the Indiana University ''I'' Men's
Association, Phi Kappa Psi, the University of Michigan Law School
Alumni and the American Legion. He served on the governing boards
of many organizations including YMCA - Camp Eberhart, the First
United Methodist Church, the Hamilton Grove Retirement Village
and the Scholarship Foundation of St. Joseph County, Inc.
Upon his retirement to Florida, Obie became
an active ''birder,'' joining the Highlands County Audubon
Society and the Florida and National Audubon Societies, and he
enjoyed many hours in the field taking part in the Christmas Bird
Count and other activities.
Obie is survived by his wife Helen;
daughters, Ann Blackmond of Chicago, Ill., and Mary Grace Crespo
of Burkesville, Ky.; five sons, John R. of South Bend, Lee Allen
of Henderson, Ky., Bradley J. of St. Petersburg, Fla., Jeffrey D.
and Charles P. of Rockaway Beach, Mo.; stepchildren, Vicki Rothhaar
of Midland, Mich., Cheryl Fekete of Bear, Dela., Robert Eddy
of Bridgman and William Eddy of Atlanta, Ga.; and by 29
grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a stepdaughter, Carol Storteboom;
a brother, Richard Obenchain; and by a sister, Jane Fox.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on
Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Welsheimer Funeral Home, 521 N. William
Street. Contributions may be made to ''Obenchain Lodge,'' Camp
Eberhart, 10300 Corey Lake Road, Three Rivers, MI 49093.