Roscoe Loving Crickenberger began his journey to heaven on February 8, 2026, just 13 days after losing his beloved bride of 74 years. It can be said that only death could part a love so strong.
Roscoe was born to William and Bertha (Kidd) Crickenberger in 1924, and was raised during the Great Depression years in the small mountain town of Schuyler, Virginia. It was those formative years that instilled in Roscoe the strong work ethic he was known for. He worked many jobs to help his family during those hard times, including picking apples and peaches at the local orchards, chopping wood, and hoeing weeds. Music played an important part in his early years. On Saturday nights the family huddled close to the radio, and Roscoe learned to play guitar and the mandolin and accompanied his family and friends who gathered to play their instruments and sing. He never lost that love of music and played his mandolin right up until he was 100.
His sister, Helen, brought Roscoe to Newport News the very day he graduated from high school at age 16. He worked as a stock clerk in a dime store until he was 18 and old enough to start the Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding. Aside from a brief stint attending what was then known as Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and two years in the Army, the Shipyard was his career. It was on a bus headed back to Virginia from Cedar Falls that he met Doris Wilder, the woman he would marry on December 20, 1951 and love for 74 years.
During his early years at the Shipyard, Roscoe worked the ventilation on the liner, UNITED STATES, and was part of the core group that became the Atomic Power Division. He worked long hours during the construction of the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, ENTERPRISE, and the rest of his shipyard career was in the Submarine Nuclear Design project.
After retiring from Newport News Shipbuilding, he and Doris enjoyed several cross-country trips to visit all of the major National Parks, and began their early morning 7-mile walks. This continued until Doris’s Alzheimer’s worsened. Roscoe was his wife’s primary caregiver until she peacefully passed away on January 26, 2026 at home.
Roscoe was preceded in death by his parents, William and Bertha (Kidd) Crickenberger; his sister, Helen Evans; his brothers, Raymond, Rudolph, Joe, and Earl Crickenberger and his wife, Doris. He is survived by three sons, Gary (Terri), Fred, and Bob Crickenberger; one daughter, Claire Kimmel; his granddaughter, Bobbie Jo Fridley; a grandson, Daniel (Kip) Milliken; nieces, Gail Beale, Beth Walls and Sharon Miller; his nephew, Jimmy Crickenberger and a host of grandnieces and grandnephews.
Roscoe loved to read, garden, refinish furniture, and browse antique shops in search of a nice salt and pepper set for Doris’s collection. He and Doris made annual trips back to Iowa to visit her friends and relatives and also visited Schuyler often. He was in the running for oldest student at his school reunions, but his classmate, Iris McKay, lived to be 102, so Roscoe took 2nd place honors.
The family wishes to extend special thanks to Tim and Robin Barefoot for being such good neighbors, and for all their help. The family also thanks Bob Winger for being such a good friend to Dad, for all the aerial and ground photos he and his wife Marjorie took so Dad could share in their adventures, and for listening and swapping Army stories. Their friendship meant a lot to Dad.
His oft quoted prayer, that the Good Lord would let him live long enough to see Doris through to the end, was answered. That being said, his heart was broken once she was gone. The Good Lord answered another prayer, that he be allowed to join her. While they are sorely missed, the family rejoices that they are together again and looks forward to when we are all reunited with them.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests any expressions of sympathy be in the form of donations to local food banks.
