Local veteran awarded new roof
Lower Pottsgrove man wins annual Rutter Roofing giveaway
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LOWER POTTSGROVE » It couldn’t have come at a better time. When retired Army Sgt. and Montgomery County first responder Joe Oberholtzer II found out he had won a new roof from Rutter Roofing of Malvern as part of a giveaway for veterans, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Oberholtzer has owned his Lower Pottsgrove home for 10 years, and had patched the 30-year-old roof a number of times.
“I tried to do some things to fix it but I can only do so much. I knew I was going to have to hire someone or take a week vacation to do it. This came at a really opportune time,” Oberholtzer said.
In 2018, he said he noticed a water leak in the dining room ceiling. In trying to make a repair, he “found that the shingles were all laid incorrectly.” Oberholtzer and his wife Shannon were saving the money they would need.
This is the second year the Chester County-based exterior remodeling company has awarded a new roof to an area veteran during its annual Memorial Day Giveaway, although it has done roof giveaways to deserving families in the past, according to Jackie Daller, Rutter Roofing’s director of business development.
“We run this giveaway through our Facebook, and we created a nomination form on our website for anyone nominating to fill out. This year we judged the winning candidates based on military service and the depth of the reason for nomination,” Daller said.
Rutter Roofing installed the CertainTeed roof system in July, over a day and a half.
Oberholtzer, who served in the U.S. Army from 2001-09, was unknowingly entered into the giveaway by his father-in-law, Tony Gemma. In fact, Oberholtzer said he got a call from Gemma on the day he found out he had won, asking if he had seen the email yet.
“I guess they emailed us both at the same time saying they had picked me. He called me and then then I opened the email,” Oberholtzer said, adding that he was skeptical when he heard he was getting a free roof remodel.
Daller said the company enlisted help from last year’s winner, retired Army sergeant and Vietnam War veteran Dave Gardner of Harleysville in choosing from among this year’s nominees.
“It’s always tough selecting a winner when we feel that all veterans are deserving of being honored,” Daller said, adding that Gardner and his wife Joan agreed Oberholtzer “was an outstanding nomination and through not only his military service but also years of giving back to the community.”
Oberholtzer said he became a lifeguard at 15, a firefighter at 16, joined the military at 17 and then became a police officer after leaving the military.
As a retired sergeant, Oberholtzer continues to give back to the community. He is a former deputy chief of the Sanatoga Fire Company, and serves as a police officer for a Montgomery County municipality.
During Oberholtzer’s military service, he earned the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Humanitarian Medal — awarded to him for his off-duty community service while serving in the Kosovo Tactical Operations Center. Following his time in Kosovo, Oberholtzer’s unit was among the first to supply humanitarian aid during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Oberholtzer has been married to wife Shannon for just under 10 months. She is also a Montgomery County first responder. Together, the couple is raising four children.
Oberholtzer said he appreciates Rutter Roofing’s generosity and is excited to spend time with his wife and children instead of hammering shingles.
“For us to be helped and be recognized is like all the pieces of our lives falling perfectly into place,” he said.