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Birth:          9 May 1941 
Death:          14 Jul 2016 
Cause of Death: necrotizing fasciitis

Notes
!PUBL
DeStefano-Straus Fam Tree on ancestry
obit of Generino F. (Ginny Eugene) Rodia/Rodio
(has his name as Jermone, as does the caption on the photo on the article, below, but 
in the article and elsewhere it is Jerome)
pub rec on ancestry 210 Old Forks Rd. Hammonton, NJ
http://www.southernchestercountyweeklies.com/article/SC/20160715/NEWS/160719
985
OXFORD >> Friends and neighbors filled St. Christopher’s Church on Thursday night 
to honor the memory of philanthropist and Chamber of Commerce President Jerome 
Rodio.

Rodio died suddenly on Thursday from a flesh-eating bacteria that attacked his body 
the day before. Mary Ann Brown Mertz, pastor of St. Christopher’s, who was present at 
his bedside when he died, said he had been crabbing the day before and nicked his 
finger on the cage. The bacteria immediately assaulted his body and he died within a 
day-and-a half.

At the hastily prepared service she led on Thursday night, she said that she had 
originally planned on Wednesday to have people gather to pray for his recovery, but 
he took a turn for the worst on Thursday and succumbed to the infection.

Rodio, 75, was owner of Slightly Touched Furniture on Third Street, where people said 
they could not get out of his shop without sharing a story. He also presided at the 
annual Chamber of Commerce dinner, at which time the outstanding person, business 
and organization are recognized.
At this year’s dinner, state Sen. Andy Dinniman praised the work of the organization 
saying that the opening of new stores in Oxford is a tribute to the chamber.

Rodio was a booster of retail in the borough, advocating for growth that would benefit 
its residents.

When the Acme Market closed in April, he said, “It impacts the residents. You have a 
lot of residents, they walk to the Acme. To walk to another grocery is almost 
impossible for them, It’s going to have a big impact. If they replace it with another 
grocery store, not as much, but we don’t know yet.”

When people came to his shop to purchase furniture and they did not have enough 
money, he told them to take it and bring the money when they had it, said his friend 
Reba Webb.

It is in this spirit of caring for the residents of the town he was remembered by friends. 
They said he was an extraordinary philanthropist whose life was dedicated anyone 
who needed help, including using the resources from his store to relieve their misery.

He was remembered fondly by Webb as one who participated in numerous local 
agencies, including Neighborhood Services, Lighthouse, Family Promise, the homeless 
shelter in Elkton, anti-human-trafficking and SILO (an acronym for Serving, Inspiring, 
Loving Others).

She cited a time he heard about a local woman who was sick and was sleeping on her 
floor because she had no bed. Rodio gave her a bed.

“He was so unassuming. We’re devastated. People like him cannot be replaced,” she 
said.

Webb added that Rodio also nominated many people for the mayor’s annual tribute to 
outstanding citizens — and she was one of them.

Mertz said Rodio provided food, clothing and shelter to the poor and oppressed, but 
he was so unassuming that people really didn’t know all he did. “We do know that he 
had been a police officer in Philadelphia,” she said.

She described the moments before he died when she was sitting beside him. She told 
him, “I promise you that the community will continue on with your work.”

“All of us have to pick up those pieces,” she said to her audience.

Several friends spoke to the congregation, all praising Rodio and the work he did.

Borough Council member Peggy Russell cited instances where he set up beds for 
people in need in Philadelphia, and that he was an advocated against human 
trafficking. But he did it all with his trademark cheerfulness and energy. “He turned 
everything into a gift,” she said.

Former Borough Manager Betsy Brantner said he was “beyond and inspiration to this 
community.”

“He was strong like a bull and he had a heart of gold,” she said.
------------
Jerome Rodio: Flesh-eating bacteria killed retired Philly cop
There were few things that Jerome Rodio, a retired Philadelphia police officer, loved 
more than fishing.

On a dock last week on Chesapeake Bay, Rodio watched as an older man worked to 
bring up several crab traps. Rodio, 75, offered to help. A trap scratched the inside of 
Rodio's arm as he lifted it out of the shallow water. 

Three days later, Rodio, of Oxford, Chester County, was dead. 

"At one point he showed me the scratch and we laughed about it," said son Gene, 
who accompanied his father on a boat that morning to reel in perch. "It was only two 
inches, like a nasty cat had taken a swing at him." 

The injury wasn't deep. Jerome Rodio washed it out with bay water, which apparently 
harbored the bacteria that led to his death. 

Vibrio vulnificus kills about 20 people in the United States each year. In contrast, one 
person dies of a shark attack every other year. 

The microorganism thrives in warm, salty water, where it is often ingested by oysters 
and other sea dwellers. When people eat the contaminated seafood, they're sickened 
with food poisoning within a day. 

But the bacteria, which are related to cholera, can also enter the body through open 
wounds. AV. vulnificus skin infection, though rare, can spread rapidly. The infection 
attacks the layers of a membrane known as the fascia, which are the connective 
bands of tissue that surround muscles, nerves and blood vessel, according to the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The toxins released by the bacteria kill the body's soft tissues, resulting in what 
doctors call necrotizing fasciitis. The infection can cause sepsis, require the 
amputation of limbs, or cause death. 

People with compromised immune systems, liver disease, or who are being treated for 
cancer are at greatest risk, said Cliff S. Mitchell, a physician and environmental health 
director of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 

"I don't like the termflesh-eating bacteria because it conjures up a lot of unnecessary 
images," Mitchell said. "In reality, necrotizing fasciitis is a very scary and serious 
condition by itself.Flesh-eating bacteria can refer to several different infections." 

In previous years, the State of Maryland has issued advisories warning of the 
presence ofVibrio in Chesapeake Bay. 

"Should you worry aboutVibrio?" said Mitchell. "That's a question I get asked a lot." 

The number of people affected each year is very small, he said. To avoidVibrio food 
poisoning or a skin infection, Mitchell advises common sense. 

"I wouldn't recommend eating oysters from warm waters on a hot summer day," he 
said. "And if you have an open cut, avoid contact with water whereVibrio could live, 
especially if you are on immune suppressing drugs." 

Jerome Rodio, who was also a Navy veteran, had been treated for cancer but was 
symptom-free, said his son. 

The morning after he was scratched, he felt sick and drove to a Veterans Affairs 
outpatient clinic. The VA transferred Rodio to Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de 
Grace, Md. When he didn't respond to treatment, he was taken by helicopter to the 
University of Maryland Medical Center, where doctors operated to remove the infected 
tissue. 

Rodio, who was expected to become mayor of Oxford next year, never regained 
consciousness. 

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Stella Maris Church, 2901 
S. 10th St. 
Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) - Wednesday, July 20, 2016

NJ Marr Idx on ancestry

Parents
RODIA [CHG TO RODIO] Generino F. (Ginny Eugene) (20 Feb 1915 - 9 Dec 2007)
----- Grace ()

Siblings
RODIO Jerome Anthony (9 May 1941 - 14 Jul 2016)

Marriage To CHAPMAN Kathleen ()
    m. May 1965 Camden, N.J.

Notes


Children by CHAPMAN Kathleen 
RODIO Gene ()
RODIO Patrick ()

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