Robert J Oxenford
January 10, 1952 — June 7, 2023
Robert Joseph Oxenford "The Ox" passed away on June 7th, 2023, at St. Mary's Hospital. His passing was accelerated by his indifference to his medical conditions; COPD, emphysema, diabetes, kidney failure. His 100% medical disability was due to asbestos exposure while in the Navy.
He was born in Boone, IA (Boone County) on January 10, 1952. He is the son of John Booth Oxenford, born in Lake City, IA (Calhoun County) and Barbara Ruth (Burtch) Oxenford, born on the Burtch Farm Northeast of Osage, IA (Mitchell County). He is preceded in death by both parents and his older brother, John Thomas Oxenford of Grand Junction, CO, born in Boone, IA (Boone County). He is survived by his younger sister Deborah Ruth (Oxenford) Gurley of somewhere rustic in Montana, born in Dubuque, IA (Dubuque County).
He was married twice, first to Vicki Diane (Blankenship), Strasburg, Johnson, Oxenford, Colston. They were married in Norfolk, VA and lived in Virginia Beach, VA. He remained unmarried as a single parent for 3 years following a four-year marriage that ended in divorce. His second marriage was to Susan Jeanette (Martin), Lewis, Oxenford, Beckwith, Cyr. They were married in Virginia Beach, VA and lived in Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Suffolk, VA. This fourteen-year marriage ended in divorce as well.
He fathered 4 sons: Joseph Alan Oxenford from his first marriage and Stephen Wayde Oxenford, Charles Leland Oxenford, and Miles Robert Oxenford from his second marriage.
He joined the United States Navy in September 1972 and left in March 1983. He served aboard USS Piedmont (AD 17), USS Shenandoah (AD 26), and USS Sylvan (AFS 2). He was also stationed ashore at Fleet Training Center, Norfolk, VA as staff at Firefighting School and at Main Propulsion Maintenance School. His Navy Educational Codes were 9502 (Instructor), 4294 (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration and Dry Air Systems), and 4204 (Engine Room Maintenance Supervisor). His basic education was in the Machinist Mate rate. He left the service at his request. He was a single parent in a Sea-Going rate and received an Honorable Discharge with RE-3H Code due to the dependency.
Following his release from duty he was employed by many ship repair facilities in the Tidewater Virginia area as a Planner/Estimator: The Jonathan Corporation,
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation, Xenotechnix, Technico, Herc Procucts, QED, VSE Corporation, LPI Technical Services, and Electric Motor Services Industrial. When living in Colorado, he was employed by Colorado Compressor and Gas Packagers of Denver, Joost Industries in Denver, and Quadna Incorporated in Grand Junction. He was employed as a Service/Repair Technician.
He was a believer in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ concerning salvation. He was convinced strongly in the "Abomination of Denomination" and was thus reluctant to tie himself to any particular religion/denomination, although raised as a Baptist.
He was able to live a single, celibate, and independent life after his second divorce in 1997. His brother's children that live in Grand Junction, CO were a great blessing to him in his desire to be surrounded by his books and other personal items associated with family history and genealogy. They made it possible for him to meet his many medical and health challenges. He enjoyed/derived much pleasure from collecting, reading, and re-reading used books. His favorite authors were David Grayson, Eric Sloane, Christopher Morley, Isak Dinesen, Andrew Barton Patterson, Pearl S. Buck, Will Carlton, Hamlin Garland, Charles Swindoll, and Robert B. Theme.
There will be no Memorial Service. He offers his cremated remains to be added to his sister's planter boxes to improve the soil quality.
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