Emery Rock

Emery Lee Rock was born at home, on the Rock Homestead, on Sunday, October 31, 1926, in Terrbonne Township, Red Lake County, Minnesota. He was the son of Harvey and Eraine (Champoux) Rock. The second child in his family, Emery had one older brother Myron, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his three younger sisters: Fern Crossman, Laurel Hageman, and June Estep. Emery’s ancestors emigrated from Normandy, France, to Quebec in the early 1700s, eventually settling in Minnesota in the mid-1800s. Emery was baptized at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Terrebonne the day after he was born. Church was the center of their family and social life. After Emery’s family relocated to Seattle in 1944, he began a correspondence course in radio repair from the National Radio Institute. Upon graduation from West Seattle High School in June of 1945, Emery was drafted into the U.S. Army and was assigned to serve as an instructor in radio repair at the Army Signal Corps School in Ansbach, Germany (1946-1947), due to his experience from the correspondence course. After his service in the Army, Emery studied at the University of Washington and obtained a degree in Physics. Emery began working for The Boeing Company during college and ultimately was hired at the Boeing Flight Test Center. In his over 40 years at Boeing, Emery especially enjoyed designing equipment to test the telemetry systems of airplanes, among other projects. Emery married Barbara Helfrich in 1966, and raised two children, Michelle Pettyjohn of Boise, ID and Steve Rock of Burien, WA. Emery and Barbara enjoyed traveling and gardening, while Emery continued a lifelong hobby of photography. After Barbara’s passing in 2015, Emery moved to Boise to live with Michelle’s family where he attended St. Mary’s Parish. He enjoyed good health right up until the week before his death. Emery entered eternal rest at home, the morning of April 15, 2020, with Michelle and Steve at his side. He was 93 years old. Emery’s kind manner and gentle disposition were evident to all who knew him. He truly lived out the meaning of “Love is patient, love is kind.” He will be greatly missed and always close in our hearts. Funeral services and burial will be private, at St. Mary’s Parish in Boise, Idaho, and at Holyrood Cemetery in Shoreline, Washington.