Thomas (Rudy) Rudolph Topping

THOMAS RUDOLPH TOPPING

 

Thomas Rudolph "Rudy" Topping, of Charlotte, died on July 28, 2016.  He is survived by his daughters Charlotte Turner (Morrie) of Hope Mills and Gloria Trotter (Leon) of Charlotte; son-in-law Glenn Greene of Fayetteville; grandchildren Bert Turner (Dee), Webb Turner (Kim), Mary-Anne Greene (Joe), and Elizabeth McCorquodale (Douglas); and great-grandchildren Olivia, Ian, Aubry, Gracie, Edward, and Emma.  Also surviving are special sister-in-law Gloria Hemmerle and many nieces and nephews.  Rudy was predeceased by his beloved wife Mabel Wiggins Topping; his beloved daughter Anne Topping Greene; his brothers KB Topping, Linwood Topping, Bill Topping, and Charles Topping; and his sisters Hazel Hedgepeth, Ruth Lassiter, Ruby Rook, and Mary Pittman.

Rudy was born in Littleton, North Carolina on August 23, 1925, the fifth of nine children of the late Kenneth Topping and the late Mamie Ethridge Topping.  Rudy grew up in Littleton and was always thrilled to meet anyone else from his hometown.  When he was 3 years old, he was taken to his grandmother's house to recover from a serious burn on his leg.  That visit with his grandmother lasted until he went to college.

After high school, he was awarded a U.S. Navy scholarship under the V-12 program, which allowed him to attend Stevens Institute of Technology and Northwestern University.  At 19, he was commissioned an Ensign in the Navy and was assigned to the USS Juneau and, later, the aircraft carrier USS Leyte, which furnished air support to the Army and Marines fighting in Korea.  For his service on the Leyte, Rudy was awarded the Bronze Star.  He later served on the USS Mississippi (testing the Terror missile) and on the USS McNair.  In 1950, while the Leyte was in Cannes, France, he met Elizabeth Taylor and gave her a lengthy tour of the ship without initially realizing who she was.  That tour, and resulting Photoplay Magazine photo, provided a story Rudy told to friends and family for decades.

In January 1959, Rudy was assigned to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, DC and was selected to serve on the White House staff under President Eisenhower, as liaison to a committee studying the military assistance program.  While serving at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Rudy was promoted to the rank of Commander, and, at the age of 35, was among the youngest Commanders in the Navy.  For his last tour of duty, he was assigned as Commanding Officer to the U.S. Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center in Charlotte.  Following his retirement from the Navy, he received his real estate broker's license and worked for many rewarding years at Evans Construction Company.

While living in Charlotte, Rudy took an active role in many civic and church-related activities.  He joined the Lions Club in 1965 and served as Club President and District Governor.  He was honored with a number of Lions Club awards, including the International President's Award, Ambassador of Good Will Award, and the Melvin Jones Fellow Award.  He joined the Sons of the American Revolution in 1983 and served as Chapter President, State President, and National Trustee.  The SAR awarded him the Meritorious Service Medal, Silver Good Citizenship Medal, and the Patriot Medal.  Rudy also enjoyed delivering Friendship Trays to the elderly for many years.

Rudy was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church and was a faithful member of St. Andrews UMC and St. Stephen UMC while living in Charlotte.  Over the years, he served as Chairman of the Administrative Board, Lay Leader, President of Methodist Men, Lay Delegate to Annual Conference, and as a member of the District Missions Society. 

After his retirement, Rudy developed an interest in genealogy and spent thirteen years researching his family history and collecting information about his ancestors from places far and wide.  He proudly published a book - Topping/Latham Family History - in 1994.  This book, dedicated to his wife Mabel and his three daughters, has proved to be an invaluable resource to many family members.

Rudy was a natural-born leader, loved exchanging stories with people, and was nearly always excited and optimistic about life's possibilities.  He was a true gentleman and always appreciative of anything someone did for him.  Even last year, during a hospital stay and battling dementia, he recounted major events of his life and spoke of how blessed he was to have had the career, church life, and family he loved.

The family would like to thank the staff at Asbury Care Center and Aldersgate Retirement Community for their loving care and support of both Rudy and Mabel over the last few years.

A memorial service to celebrate Rudy's life will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, August 7th at Aldersgate, Ray Hall Community Center Chapel, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC  28215. Memorial donations may be made to the Aldersgate Supplemental Assistance Fund at the address above or to St. Stephen United Methodist Church (the ministry of your choice), 6800 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC  28270.

Online condolences may be sent to www.carolinafuneral.com  Carolina Funeral Service & Cremation Center is entrusted with the arrangements.