Roger was born in Germantown, Ohio and graduated from Germantown High School in 1953. He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Lodge the following year. He graduated from Wilmington College with a degree in Industrial Arts in 1961 and began teaching and coaching at Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio. He received his master’s degree in Industrial Arts Education from Wayne State University in 1968 and began teaching at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in Glassboro, New Jersey. In 1970 he moved his family to Terre Haute, Indiana, where he was a professor in the School of Technology at Indiana State University for 30 years. He and Nancy moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 2001.
Roger enjoyed coaching and watching sports and was a loyal season ticket holder at whichever school he was currently employed, and later, a happily retired Husker fan. He traveled the country watching the performances of his children and grandchildren, both athletic and artistic. He was the consummate handy man and stayed busy with home improvement projects well into his 70’s. He and Nancy were foster parents for several years and hosted three international exchange students in their home. He volunteered at CASA, Lincoln Literacy Council, and Teammates Mentoring.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm, Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at Roper and Sons Midtown Chapel, 4300 ‘O’ Street.