Rodney J. Short, Sussex Shores president

Rodney J. Short passed away Thursday, April 16, 2015, at his home in Sarasota, Fla. Rodney was born at Ft. Benning, Ga., Feb. 28, 1953, the son of the late William P. Short Jr. and Mary E. (Haverland) Short. He graduated from Indian River High School.

He began working at Sussex Shores Water Company in the mid-1970s and became president of the company in 1981, after his father’s retirement. Rodney and his wife started Mr. Natural Bottled Water in 1983. The water industry was a true passion of Rodney’s; he was instrumental in starting the Delaware chapter of the National Association of Water Companies in the early '90s.

Rodney is survived by his former spouse and cherished friend, Eileen C. Short; two children, Jennifer E. Short and Christine T. Mason and her husband Jeff; three grandchildren, Shawn, Elliott and Olivia; a brother William P. Short III; sisters Phyllis A. Vinyard and Pamela L. Ryan; and the rest of his family and friends.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, May 1, at Ocean View Presbyterian Church, 67 Central Ave., Ocean View, at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers a memorial donation may be given to Water for the People. https://waterforpeople.wufoo.com/forms/tribute-gift/.