Rodney James Wotton, born January 14, 1965, in Jersey City, NJ, died September 11, 2001, in the World Trade Center Disaster in New York City.

Growing up in Lincroft, NJ, Rod played Little League baseball and was active in the Boy Scouts. A merit badge in Computing helped influence him toward a career in computer science.

Rod graduated from Middletown High School South and continued his education at Brookdale Community College, earning an associates degree in computer science. His career started at Publishers Phototype International in Carlstadt, NJ. This helped him secure a position with Chemical Bank in Somerset, NJ. Advancing up the ranks to systems programmer, Rod transferred to New York City, and this led to his most recent employment with Fiduciary Trust International on the 97th floor of the World Trade Center, Tower II. He spent most of his time with Fiduciary in data center management, where his forte was disaster recovery and data integrity. He advanced to the Vice President level and eventually became the senior vice president of web design. Rod was dedicated to his work and would spend many hours at home, nights and weekends, on the phone or at his computer, assisting his associates.

Rod met his wife, Patricia, in 1991, and they were married on May 13, 1995. Their daughter, Dorothea Jean was born October 4, 1999, and their newborn son, Rodney Patrick, was born September 19, 2001. Rod is remembered for his tender affection for his wife and daughter. He was a dedicated husband and father, and friend to many. He enjoyed outdoor activities, including golf, going to the beach, softball, roller-blading and running. When he reluctantly hung up his running shoes due to knee problems, his passion became weight-lifting, vegetable gardening and a 1988 Ford Mustang.

Rod was a fun-loving person with a quick smile and a positive attitude towards life. He was always helping people in need and spent summers as a teenager at the local park helping physically challenged children learn to swim. More recently, he and his wife participated in several social activities in Middletown, NJ, including the Newcomers Club, greeting new residents.