Dennis Delbert Rusher

November 9, 1947 - October 5, 2019

Dennis Delbert Rusher was born on November 9, 1947 in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He passed away on October 5, 2019. He married Barbara Erickson, who he knew since childhood, in 1969. He enlisted in the US Army and served in Vietnam where he was a “Huey” helicopter pilot; he was awarded with several medals including 2 Bronze Stars. He was honorably discharged in 1975 and moved to Tempe, AZ where he attended Arizona State University, graduating in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Supervision. Dennis had a long and distinguished career at McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) where he was an engineer working on the AH-64 Apache, the world’s most advanced multi-role combat helicopter. He later went to work for and retired from Arizona Department of Transportation, where he ran sophisticated equipment conducting road tests on many of the freeways around the Valley. Dennis was an avid Harley-Davidson fan; his motorcycle was one of his most prized possessions. He also collected guns, loved to build RC cars, and prided himself on being a bargain hunter. He bought stuff he didn’t even need just because he got a good deal. We always teased him about this. Dennis is survived by his wife of 50 years, Barbara, daughter Melissa Libhart (Dan), and granddaughters, Madelyn and Emma Libhart, who were the light of his life. A Celebration of Life will be held on October 26, 2019 at 11:00 AM at Meldrum Mortuary, 52 North Macdonald, Mesa, AZ. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org.