Upon his return, Rodney took up classes at San Francisco Junior College, where he studied elementary education. During the summer of 1946, Rodney worked part time at the Tuolumne Mountains in Yosemite, where he met his future wife, June. June, who grew up on the opposite side of the economic spectrum, was the daughter of Daisy Seulberger and Hubert O. Pierce. Her father, an English descendant and her mother, a German descendant were rather wealthy due to Daisy’s family. On December 28, 1947 Rodney and June married in Sacramento, California. Many of June’s relatives objected to the married solely because of Rodney’s age and economic status. Rodney and June had three children: Howard, the eldest, Brian, and Bruce. Bruce, was severely underdeveloped when he was born, leaving him mentally impaired. Not long after his birth, June was hospitalized, where she later died of colon cancer. The death of his mother had a huge impact on Howard, because he did not understand why she had left him. “I was afraid that she didn’t want to see me anymore. Why else would your mother leave you and never come back?”
Upon his return, Rodney took up classes at San Francisco Junior College, where he studied elementary education. During the summer of 1946, Rodney worked part time at the Tuolumne Mountains in Yosemite, where he met his future wife, June. June, who grew up on the opposite side of the economic spectrum, was the daughter of Daisy Seulberger and Hubert O. Pierce. Her father, an English descendant and her mother, a German descendant were rather wealthy due to Daisy’s family. On December 28, 1947 Rodney and June married in Sacramento, California. Many of June’s relatives objected to the married solely because of Rodney’s age and economic status. Rodney and June had three children: Howard, the eldest, Brian, and Bruce. Bruce, was severely underdeveloped when he was born, leaving him mentally impaired. Not long after his birth, June was hospitalized, where she later died of colon cancer. The death of his mother had a huge impact on Howard, because he did not understand why she had left him. “I was afraid that she didn’t want to see me anymore. Why else would your mother leave you and never come back?”