Michalk

Rudolph August Michalk passed away peacefully on June 13, 2020.

Rudy was born in Rabbs Prairie a community near La Grange to Charles Herman Michalk and Ida Marie Zimmermann on Aug. 5, 1923. Rudy started school in La Grange and graduated from Fayette County High School.

Rudy tried to volunteer when WWII started, but he was underage and his father would not sign the paper giving permission for Rudy to join the service. He was later drafted and inducted into the Army on March 9, 1943. He was a Tech5/ Grade, assigned to the 102nd Evacuation Hospital Unit that was a semi-mobile unit hospital that traveled through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. His role was to assist a doctor and nurse with receiving patients and routing them to the proper medical team. He arrived on Omaha Beach on July 18, 1944 with his unit. During the war, the hospital moved and setup tents in 11 different locations and treated 28,511 patients. After the war ended, he returned to La Grange in December 1945 and was honorably discharged from the Army.

In 1952, he went to work for Brown & Root where he worked for 38 years taking on various finance roles. During the last 7 years of working, he was assigned to several overseas projects in various countries. While in Dubai, his wife Margie Sheffield Michalk suffered a heart attack and suddenly passed away. He then retired and moved back to Houston in 1986.

On May 12, 1988, he married Jeanne Black Smith. Rudy and Jeanne were very active in their church, First Presbyterian, and in the Fellowship Sunday School class where they had many dear friends. Jeanne passed away Sept. 28, 2019.

Rudy was preceded in death by his parents; wives, Margie and Jeanne; his brothers, Charley and Jimmy Michalk; his sister, Gladys Michalk Eichler; and his step-son, Randy Smith.

He is survived by his sister-in-law, Paula Michalk; his brothers’ children, Mark Michalk and his son, Reed, and Reed’s daughter, Brooklynn, Rebekah Kelsey and her husband, Colby, and their son, Clayton; Kenneth Michalk and his daughter, Amanda; Peggy Michalk Mosher and her husband, Kirk, and their daughter, Sara; Tammy Michalk Wachsmann and her husband, David, and their children, Michael, his wife Ana, and their daughter, Ellie and Jennifer Wachsmann. He is also survived by Jeanne’s daughter, Becky Bike and her husband, Brent; stepgranddaughters, Callie Bike and Stephanie Smith Trojanowsky and her husband, Chris, and their children, Kyle and Lane; and step-grandson, Kai Bike.

The family will have a private graveside service. A memorial service will be held for family and friends at First Presbyterian Church at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church, 5300 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77004 or the charity of your choice.