Obituary of Robert Dodds Meddock

DURHAM--Robert Dodds Meddock Jr, 73, philosophy professor, hot air balloon pilot, and academic administrator, passed away at Duke University Hospital on March 10, 2014. He was the son of the late Mary Alice Fox and Robert Dodds Meddock, Sr. Dodds was born March 23, 1940, in Lebanon, Ohio. He earned a B.A. at Miami University, completed graduate work at the University of Illinois, and taught philosophy at Valparaiso University. He was a graduate of the Small Company Management Program at Harvard Business School and a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. During the 1960s, Meddock became one of the earliest sport hot air balloon pilots in the U.S. In 1972, he left teaching and co-founded The Balloon Works, a manufacturing company, in Statesville, NC. His ballooning travels took him to South America, Europe, and the North Pole. He was the first man to have flown in a hot air, gas, smoke, and solar-power balloons. A raconteur of many talents, he had cartoons published in Cycle World magazine and a regular humor column in Ballooning magazine under the pen name "I.Q. Downdraught." In the 1980s, Dodds sold his share of the company and began working as a manager in the Zoology Department at Duke University, from where he retired. He was a volunteer reading tutor for kindergarten classes in Hillsborough, their home. He had recently resided at UniHealth Post-Acute Care in Durham, where he served as an officer of the Residents' Council and was known by all as Bob. Meddock is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 52 years, Susanna, and their two children, Adrienne (Lisa) and Justin (Aimee), of Durham, granddaughters Caroline and Claire, siblings Marilyn, Terry, Marsha, and Gary, and a beloved extended family. Walker Funeral Home of Hillsborough assisted the family with arrangements and condolences may be made at http://www.walkersfuneralservice.com. Remembrances to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research are requested in lieu of floral tributes. A memorial service will be held Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Hillsborough, 1710 Old NC 10. Attendees may bring a flower from their garden for a flower communion ceremony.