Benjamin T. Rodini, 98, mechanic who rose to Bok principal

Benjamin T. Rodini, 98, formerly of Havertown, an auto mechanic who rose to become the principal of Bok Vocational High School, died Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester.

Mr. Rodini was born in South Philadelphia; his father died when he was 5. This early loss instilled in him a can-do attitude and a realization that it was important to seize every opportunity available to him.

He graduated from South Philadelphia High School and immediately trained as an auto mechanic. When World War II broke out, he enlisted in the Army and enrolled in officer candidate school. Because of his mechanical skills, he was deployed to lead a vehicle-maintenance unit in France and Germany.

He told his family that he trained to maintain a special tank that was outfitted with a blinding searchlight, but the tank was never used in combat.

After the war, Mr. Rodini married his high school sweetheart, Norma Sambuco. He enrolled in night school at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor's degree in general studies and a master's degree in education.

In 1950s, he began teaching auto mechanics at Dobbins Vocational High School and was named coordinator of all auto mechanics teachers there.

In the late 1960s, he was hired by Bok. He was promoted to vice principal and then principal before retiring in 1982.

In 1956, Mr. Rodini moved his family to Havertown, where he was known as "Mr. Fix-it." "My father could repair or fix anything," said his son Robert. "He was fearless when it came to home-improvement projects. He repaired the neighbors' cars gratis until car technology changed in the 1990s. Fuel injection and computerization stopped him."

In later years, Mr. Rodini supervised the remodeling of his house so that he could become the primary caregiver for his wife, who suffered from dementia. In 2015, he moved to Highgate at Paoli Pointe, an assisted living facility.

He was active in the Catholic War Veterans and was voted the group's 2002 Veteran of the Year. A highlight of his life, he told his family, was an Honor Flight bus trip he took to Washington in 2014. Honor Flight is a nonprofit that recognizes World War II vets with all-expenses-paid trips to Washington to see the memorials that mark their service.

"Sitting in the front of the bus, he was astounded by the people, flags, and vehicles saluting the veterans from overpasses along Route I-95," his son said.

His wife died in 2013 after 69 years of marriage. Besides his son, he is survived by sons Benjamin Jr. and David; and six grandchildren.

Services were Friday, Feb. 10, followed by interment in SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Marple Township.

Contributions may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 105 Wilson Ave., Havertown, Pa., 19083.