Matthew E. Rodina Jr.

September 11, 1944 - November 3, 2019

Matthew E. (Matt) Rodina Jr., age 75 of Glen Carbon, IL, died Sunday, November 3, 2019, at Eden Village Retirement Center in Glen Carbon, IL. He was born on September 11, 1944 in Chicago, IL, the son of Matthew and Dorothy (nee Lathrop) Rodina Sr. On May 23, 1973, he married Lynn Berry Joyner in Virginia. She survives in Glen Carbon. Matt is also survived by his sister Dolores (Robert) Wittcoff in Burr Ridge, IL; son William (Natalie) Rodina Sr. in Pittsburgh, PA; and grandchildren William Jr., Joshua, Zachary, and Sarah. Matt was preceded in death by his parents Matthew Sr. and Dorothy Rodina, and his brother Michael. Matt graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange in 1962. He earned a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree from Illinois Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Early in his career, he worked for United Airlines and Waste Management as a Finance Executive. Matt loved aviation and was a licensed pilot and flight instructor. He lived in the US Virgin Islands for over 20 years, where he worked as the Controller for Virgin Islands Seaplane Shuttle and later as the Chief Financial Officer for Dolphin Airlines. He was an expert in aviation history; he authored and co-authored a number of books and was published numerous times in aviation magazines. He traveled all over the world and loved experiencing other cultures. Matt was also a ham radio operator; a member of the Explorer's Club and the Aviation Historical Society; and a local Parkinson's Disease Support Group. Arrangements are being handled by Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home in Highland, IL. Matt was a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Edwardsville, IL. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church or the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum. A memorial service will be scheduled for family and friends at a later date.