Herman Rogovin

HERMAN ROGOVIN, 90, a resident of Zanesville for his last 58 years and of Cambridge for his first 32 years, died on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at the Sunnyview Nursing Home in Zanesville. Herman was the youngest son of Sam and Esther Rogovin of Cambridge. He worked in his father's scrap yard as a young boy, graduated from Cambridge High in 1931 and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology in 1936. He was the first member of his family to attend college. Being unable to find a job after graduation, he and his older brother, Ted, started American Culvert & Fabricating Company in Cambridge to manufacture culvert pipe. He went on the road to sell pipe to counties and townships throughout Ohio, until the War intervened. He then moved his family to Cleveland where he was the engineer at Fisher Body in charge of nacelles for the B29 bomber. After the War he moved his family to Zanesville and he and his brother resumed the culvert business, eventually branching into steel truss bridges. A Registered Professional Engineer (Ohio No. 08569), Herman invented the all-welded factory-manufactured steel truss bridge, founded the Ohio Bridge Corp. in 1949, and erected hundreds of rural highway bridges throughout the state. In 1987 on a trip to a bridge conference in Pittsburgh, he had the idea of marketing bridges outside of Ohio and founded U.S. Bridge, which now distributes bridges across the country. After his brother died, he continued the business with his youngest son, Art, and his grandson, Dan. Herman maintained a life-long interest in fabricating and construction equipment and frequently attended equipment auctions where he bought and later modified trucks, cranes, saws and other equipment useful in the business. He loved planning construction of all kinds, whether bridges or buildings, and was an expert draftsman and surveyor. In 1947 he and his brother purchased a farm north of Zanesville where he bred Hereford, Charolais and Angus cattle, raised crops and experimented with farming equipment. Besides his farming and business interests, he was an active participant in Jewish Community life, serving as President of Beth Abraham Congregation in Zanesville, and President of the EstherSam Foundation which contributes to Jewish and general community causes in Zanesville, Cambridge, Columbus and Cleveland. Herman never retired nor believed in it. He went to his office every morning up to the week he died. He was very patriotic and voted in every election, including the most recent one. His life is an example of hard work, dedication to family and community, and high moral ethics in his relationships with others. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Eva, from the time of their marriage in 1937, a loving father to his two sons, Richard and Arthur and their wives, Linda and Toby, and an exemplary grandfather to Leslie, Kathy, Dan, and Jody, Jill and Jacob. He will also be greatly missed by his five great-grandchildren, his sister, Sara Fish and her husband, Sidney, his brothers-in-law Charles and Michael Kraus, and his many friends, colleagues and employees. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 12, 2004 at Beth Abraham Synagogue on Blue Avenue in Zanesville with Rabbi Jeffrey Elson officiaiting. Burial will follow at Jewish Cemetery, Zanesville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Beth Abraham Synagogue, 1740 Blue Avenue, Zanesville, Ohio 43701 Bolin Funeral Home, 1271 Blue Avenue, Zanesville, Ohio entrusted with all arrangements.