He was born on March 27, 1944, in Portage, the second of three children to John and Katherine (Upham) Church.

Rod graduated from Rio High School in 1962 and from Northwestern Broadcasting School. He worked as a radio broadcaster in Iowa from 1963 to 1972.

Rod married Patricia White in Rio in 1964.

He was general manager for Clinton Cablevision from 1973 to 1978.

Rod was a member of the board of directors of Clinton River Boat Days Committee of Clinton, Iowa for several years.

The couple moved back to Wisconsin and he was operations manager of North Central Operations Center of ATC (based out of Engelwood, Colo.). He continued to work in cable TV until 1990.

Rod was most recently employed at Slinger Manufacturing Co.

His hobbies included music, cooking and golf.

Survivors include his wife; his mother Katherine Church of Kaukauna; a sister, Frances Church-Lindemuth of Kaukauna; a brother, Richard (Linda) Church of Houston, Texas; a cousin, Sheldon Ellestad of Verona; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Don (Georgia) White of Cambria; his mother-in-law, Shirley White of Poynette; three nieces and two nephews; great-nieces and nephews cousins; and close friends.

Preceding him in death were his father, John Church and his father-in-law, Donald L. White Sr.

Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Vangen Funeral Home, Rio.

Rev. C. Keith Epps officiated, and burial followed in Ohio Cemetery in Rio.

Memorials may be given to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army in his memory.