Charles Worth Rock ’51

Rocky was born in New Providence, N.J., Nov. 1, 1926, the son and grandson of Presbyterian ministers.

A graduate of the Putney School, he served in the Navy before coming to Princeton, where he was a geology major and active in cross-country, Tower Club, and Print Club. After graduation he worked for ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia for more than 10 years, and later taught geology at UC, Santa Barbara.

He became interested in the Vedanta philosophy, and in 1965 entered the Ramakrishna monastery in Santa Barbara. By 1971 he had taken his preliminary vows and, by 1979, his final vows of sannyas. As Swami Ganeshananda, he served in Vedanta centers in Trabuco Canyon and Sacramento, Calif., and in St. Louis. He was deeply influenced by the time he spent in India.

Rocky spent his last years in Santa Barbara, where he died Dec. 18, 2006, after a brief illness. Fellow geology majors Jerry McHugh and Bart Rea kept in touch and remember him with great affection and respect.

His brother, Robert Rock ’43, predeceased him. He is survived by his sister, Mary Rock Simmons; his sister-in-law, Barbara Sue Rock; nephew Jonathan Rock; niece Cecily Wyatt Rock ’75; and Cecily’s children, David and Philip Nega.