John Derieux Raulerson, Jr.

Bartow -- John Derieux Raulerson, Jr. 94, passed away Tuesday, December 1, 2015 in the house where he was born. The son of John Derieux Raulerson,Sr. and Thelma (Poe) Raulerson, he was a lifelong resident of Bartow, Florida. He leaves his wife of 61 years, Anne (Widerquest Eyman) Raulerson, His children: Richard Eyman (Diana), John Eyman (Sherry), Janet Wilson (Bill) and Joanne Thomas (Brian) Four grand children: Major Robert Eyman (Sarah), Dr. Patrice Eyman-Shanahan (Ryan), Matthew Wilson and Timothy Wilson Four great grandchildren: Ryland and Katherine Eyman, Emily and Elizabeth Shanahan. He graduated from Summerlin Institute, Bartow in 1939 and received a degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1943 where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He obtained his Professional Engineers license in 1952 and completed a Masters degree in Systems Engineering from the University of South Florida in 1971. As an Army Captain during World War II in the 10th Air Repair Squadron (France), the 10th Air Depot Group (Germany) and Army Corps of Engineers, he was an anti-aircraft gun commander and in charge of maintenance for a squadron of P-51 Mustangs. After the Army, he worked at Davidson Chemical, IMC near Bartow, Frank Murphy and Associates, Systems Development Inc. and Jacobs Engineering. He was a founding partner of Lakeland Engineering. This firm developed the first mass-produced, pretensioned, prestressed concrete structural system for building construction. This system is widely used today. Later, he moved into the fabrication of heavy structural steel and was active in supplying many of the launch structures used by the Air Force and NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. He is the co-author of a book, The Systematic Design of Instruction , and is the author of another book, WonderPages: A book of informed inspiration. An avid scholar of the Bible, he taught Sunday school for many years at First United Methodist Church, Bartow. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday December 12, 2015 at the Whidden-McLean Funeral Home in Bartow. Interment, with Military Honors, will follow at Wildwood Cemetery in Bartow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Good Shepherd Hospice 105 Arneson Avenue, Auburndale, FL. 33823.