Roger William Kay

Roger William Kay was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was liberal-minded with the kind of “easy-going” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was thoughtful, generous to a fault, and honest in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready to take on whatever challenge presented itself.

      Roger was born on February 6, 1962 at Henderson Hospital in Hamilton, ON. His parents were Ron and Loretta Kay. Roger was raised in Hamilton, ON. He was brought up to be considerate and thankful. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Kay household was always interesting. There were good times to be had, but there were a fair share of challenges as well. However, Roger was able to work through the "middle child syndrome" and seemed to keep stress at bay and balance everything out. Roger was raised with two siblings. He had an older sister, Tina, and a younger brother, Paul. Roger was a constant companion to his brother and sister. Roger and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Roger was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, Roger was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Roger developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Roger took part in hockey and baseball and basketball. In his spare time he liked to collect hockey cards, and ride his bike. Roger's memorable achievements included being on the honor roll in Grade 6 and 8. He was also a member of Student Council at Memorial School. However, what Roger enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

      While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Roger as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Delta Secondary School in 1980. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was art. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Whittaker, his gym teacher. Roger was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Roger always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

      Always considered to be a solid friend, Roger was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Roger was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Roger to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for companionship. While growing up, some of his best friends were Mike Rice, Greg Bannerman, Bill Themeles, John Golias, and Gord and Dave Allan. Later in life, he became friends with Lila and.

      Roger was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Roger was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was general laborer. He was employed for 13 years by Domglas Inc. Roger worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Roger liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. Earlier in his life, he enjoyed painting and expressing himself through creative means. Later in life, his favorite pursuits were watching the Leafs and Bluejays win games.

      Roger found pleasure in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. Personally while younger, he enjoyed recreational sports such as baseball and basketball. Later in life, he would watch his favorite sporting events which included hockey and baseball and golf and curling.

      Roger was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Roger was a member of a community group called the Katimavik program, which he served with travelling and volunteering across Canada. Politically, Roger was for whoever made the most sense at the time.

      Roger enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Favorite vacations included going to the cottage, a trip to Florida and out west to visit friends.

      Roger was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Roger had pet dogs and cats; Taffy, Ninja, and Cinnamon were among his favorites.

      Roger William Kay passed away on October 14, 2022 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton. Roger fought a long battle against complications from Diabetes never complaining. He is survived by his parents, Ron and Loretta, and his best friend and brother, Paul, and his sister, Tina.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Roger William Kay. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

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At age 60, on October 14th, our beloved son, brother, and friend fell asleep in death after a long and valiant struggle with diabetes complications.

He will be missed more than words can say by his parents, Ronald and Loretta Kay, his best friend and brother Paul Kay, and his sister, Tina Mattatall (and Rick) and family. He was without a hurtful bone in his body, and will be remembered as a caring, forgiving and honest man. His wonderful sense of humour and easy to please attitude will remain in our hearts and thoughts forever.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022 between 2 pm – 4 pm at Marlatt Funeral Home, 615 Main Street East (east of Sanford Ave.), Hamilton. Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association.