Remembering Celia Rohwer
We regret to share the news that longtime employee of the Geophysical Institute Celia Rohwer died on Sept. 3, 2022 in a motorcycle accident. Celia was a software developer and worked for many years in the Computer Resource Center. There will be a memorial service at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at University Presbyterian Church. Remembrances of Celia from colleagues at the GI are included below.
Roger Smith
Celia Rohwer died September 3, just 4 miles short of Haines on the Haines Highway. She and her husband David were riding on separate motorcycles for the ferry to Bellingham at the time. David was in the lead and heard a cry from Celia on the helmet communication, but then silence. He went back to find what had happened and found that she had crashed into the ditch on the side of the road on a bend. He called for help but the EMTs could not revive her. It does not seem that any other vehicle was involved in the incident.
Celia was employed most of her life at the Geophysical Institute. Some will remember that she was involved with the installation and operation of the VAX computer which was the first major computer system at the GI. That was in the early 1980s. Since then she worked continuously in computer services. She was well known to the GI faculty and staff at that time and she was in charge of computer services for part of the time when I was Director.
Outside of her work at the GI, Celia was IT lead for University Community Presbyterian Church and provided much of the financial management. She was a regular player in the wind section of the Fairbanks Community Band. She was a pilot and owned a Cessna 174 aircraft. David and Celia made many motorcycle trips together to the Lower 48. At the time of her death they were on a planned trip lasting two months going to a variety of locations south and east of Seattle.
They were also well known participants in the "Dust to Dawson" motorcycle event each spring. There are many people saddened and grieving today. They include her immediate family; David, her husband; her sons and grandsons; church members at University Community Presbyterian Church; her motorcycling and flying communities, and many who remember her at the GI.
Donna Evans
Celia was the first person I met at the GI. She actually approached a friend of mine that worked for Dobson Cellular in 2000 inquiring if she would be interested in a job. After hearing details of the position, my friend told Celia that she knew someone that she thought would be very interested. Celia passed along her number and I called her directly. After chatting about the position she encouraged me to apply. I was interviewed and happily accepted the job in the Business Office.
I spent a lot of time training with Celia and got to know her on a professional and personal level. The opportunity to come to work at the Geophysical Institute was life changing for me and if not for that short interaction, my life may be very different today. I doubt she ever knew how much she impacted my life and I regret that I no longer have the opportunity to tell her. Celia was a smart, strong, independent woman who rode motorcycles and flew airplanes and was such an inspiration to me. She encouraged me to learn to ride and was always very encouraging and kind. She was a wonderful human and she will be greatly missed.