Robert Vincent Getzendiner was born in Scottsdale, Pennsylvania on February 21, 1913, the second son of Albert and Nellie (Clarkson) Getzendiner. Robert and his brother Albert were aviation enthusiasts from an early age. Both brothers played very significant roles in aircraft production during the World War II era.
Robert married Laura Ruuska on October 22, 1938, and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to find work with the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company. With his engineering background, he was responsible for overseeing the design and construction of Navy PBYs, amphibious aircraft, used mainly in the Pacific theater.
Post-war, the family moved to Perry, Ohio, where Mr. Getzendiner designed and built the family home. He was a licensed pilot and a member of his local experimental Aviation Association Chapter. At the time of his death at age 73, (June 6, 1986), he was building an experimental plane (Spezio 2-holer) in his backyard aeroshop.
*See photo of the Getzendiner brothers taken at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, circa Nov. 1940 (Robert on left of photo, Albert on the right).