Orris Redenbaugh

Orris Edward Redenbaugh, better known as Ed, age 64, of Caddo Valley, Arkansas, died on Friday evening, March 12, 2010 at the National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Ed was born on October 12, 1945 in San Diego, California, the son of Orris Kent and Mary Jane Redenbaugh. He is a graduate of Mission Bay High School and was awarded a Bachelors Degree in 1973 from San Diego State University located in San Diego, California.
Ed worked his way through college as a collections manager for a large credit corporation and as a loan administrator at a major bank in San Diego.
Ed served honorably and proudly in the United States Marine Corps. He was a Sergeant and supervised the cooking and feeding of thousands of young marines.
After graduating from college, Ed joined Rohr Industries, Inc. in Chula Vista, California as an Industrial Engineer, where he performed time studies and methods analysis in Fabrication/ Machine Shop/Processing. His work evolved into short range manpower forecasting and long range load forecasting.
Ed left Rohr in 1977 and co-founded a real estate development company in San Antonio, Texas. His company constructed one subdivision and two condominium projects. Ed also developed a keen interest in microcomputers at this time, and in 1983 became a business consultant in computer systems and database development.
In 1985, Ed returned to Rohr Industries, which later became Goodrich Aerospace, as an Industrial Engineer, but soon moved into Rohr's corporate real estate division, becoming its Manager of Corporate Real Estate Planning. Ed was in charge of site selection and construction of the new plants Rohr built. In his career as Corporate Manager of Real Estate Planning, Ed supervised the site selection, permitting, construction, and equipment installation of 11 new plants in various states within the U.S., as well as in Europe and in Asia, including plants in Arkadelphia, Sheridan and Heber Springs. In addition, Ed supervised the reconstruction and equipment installation of 3 additional existing plants which Rohr purchased, as well as the closing of 7 plants in the U.S. With all these projects occurring between 1985 and 2002, Ed had several of them going at once, yet each one was accomplished on or ahead of schedule and within budget.
Perhaps Ed's crowning glory for his company was in the closing of one of the plants in California. The plant consisted of four fairly large buildings on about 40 acres of land. Ed executed a subdivision of the property in 4 separate lots in such a way that each parcel contained a building. By being able to sell off four smaller parcels with a manufacturing building and utilities already available, Ed was able to provide the company with a considerably higher profit than would have been possible by selling it off a one large facility. This is just one example of how Ed excelled in his work.
Prior to 2002, Ed was planning for his retirement from Goodrich. Along with his wife, Jean, purchased land on the Ouachita River in Caddo Valley and built their dream house, which he and his wife designed from scratch.
Ed conceived setting up a vocational training center to improve the skills of Clark County's workers and to attract large industry to Clark County, and to support training workers for new and existing industries. Ed worked with community and state leaders to help establish the Southwest Arkansas Technology Learning Center, now known as the Henderson State University Community Education Center (CEC), becoming its first Executive Director and serving until his death. Ed succeeded in having furniture donated for the initial facility from the closing of the various Rohr/Goodrich plants. He even convinced Rohr/Goodrich to donate file cabinets and training materials, and all the tables for the computer lab. Ed personally set up a network of 21 computers in the lab plus office computers, programmed them for their planned functions and established a wireless network for the CEC facility. He designed and assembled 3-axis CNC (Computer Numeric Controller) milling machines for student training. Ed supervised a PLC expert in the design and assembly of several mobile PLC trainer stations used at several industrial facilities around the state.
Companies who have used the CEC include Scroll Technologies, Goodrich Post Production Spares, Georgia Pacific, Kohler, Alcoa, Myer's Bakery, Firestone Tires, Husqvarna, Leggett-Platt, Mission Plastics, Coleman Cable, and many others.
Ed has also been a valuable asset to the economic development of Clark County. He helped change the mindset of community leaders by sharing his knowledge on how industrial site selectors visit communities and what they look for in potential new sites for constructing new plants. Ed was always available to help market the Goodrich Post Production Spares building in the Clark County Industrial Park, and helped consummate Drumco's acquisition of the site.
Ed's passion was cooking. He had a smoker on which he made the best ribs anyone ever tasted. Ed could be found at the 3-day long Twin Rivers Festival, cooking chicken, pork and beef for the community. He cooked barbequed chicken to help the David McCallum Memorial Scholarship Fund complete its endowment fundraising requirements. Ed was a primary supporter of the police department in Caddo Valley to purchase new bullet-proof vests for the safety of our law enforcement officers when it was discovered that their existing, advertised bullet-proof vests were actually not bullet-proof. Ed loved being on the water, including Lake DeGray and the Ouachita River, and was a longtime member of the San Diego Yacht Club.
Survivors include his loving wife, Jean, and his two daughters, Heather Redenbaugh Lamb and husband Scott, who reside in Carlsbad, California; and Laurel Redenbaugh Simon and her husband Marcus, who reside in Salt lake City, Utah. Ed has one grandchild, Elise Simon, and another, Abby May, who is due to be born on May 5, 2010. Ed is also survived by his sisters Linda Redenbaugh of San Diego, Eloise Redenbaugh Frank and her husband Sam of El Cajon, California; and Anne Redenbaugh Hefner and her husband Curt, of San Diego, California. Ed is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of his life will be held at the River Bend Lodge in Caddo Valley, Arkansas on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 4:00 pm. A second memorial services will be held in San Diego at a later date.
Memorials may be sent to Ed Redenbaugh Vocational Education Fund, P.O. Box 1405, Arkadelphia, AR 71923, or delivered in person to the CEC, Suite A, 640 South 6th Street, Arkadelphia, Arkansas. In Ed's memory this fund will honor the most outstanding high school CEC graduate each year and provide scholarships for CEC students.