Roger Sprague

In high school, his mother Patricia relocated to Columbia with Roger and his sisters Glenda and Patty. He graduated from David H. Hickman High School in 1967 and later served six years in the Missouri National Guard, often noting , “Missouri was never attacked under my watch.” In 1970, he began a career in the loading docks at 3M and worked his way into an engineering and leadership position at the plant before retiring in 2006.

He was proud of his work and did it well. Disciplined, dependable and steady. But work was what he did, not who he was. The measure of Roger’s life was not in job titles or years of service. It was in love, in laughter and in the steady presence he offered to the people who mattered most. He was far more interested in who people were than what they did for a living. Titles never impressed him. Character did.

He became a father in 1971 when David was born. In 1991, he married the love of his life, Lori. Theirs was not simply a marriage. It was a partnership that others admired and quietly hoped to emulate. They completed each other in almost every way imaginable. Anyone who spent time with them knew they were witnessing something real and rare. In 1995, they welcomed Kyle, and their family felt whole.

Roger loved the water. A summer job at the Lake of the Ozarks in high school began a lifelong devotion. The lake was never just a place, it was a feeling. Later, he and Lori spent winters on Anna Maria Island, Florida, again drawn to the shoreline. Whether boating on the lake, lounging at the pool or walking along the Gulf, the water marked some of their happiest chapters together. It was where they exhaled. Where they laughed. Where time felt generous.

Music was another current running through his life. In the 1960s he played keyboards in Columbia bands before “retiring” when he became a father. But music never really retired from him. After leaving 3M, he found his way back to the stage with The Comic Book Society and later Blues Highway. That second act filled his days with purpose, learning and joy. He loved the connection, the rhythm and the community of Columbia musicians he proudly supported.

He was an avid sports fan, fiercely loyal to the St. Louis Cardinals, Mizzou football and basketball, the St. Louis Blues and, while they were still in St. Louis, the Rams. Games were better when watched together, preferably with commentary and laughter.

Roger loved simple things. A good meal. A cold drink. A shared joke. A game on TV. Being near the people he loved. He believed life was meant to be enjoyed, and that joy was something you made time for, not something you waited on.

He never needed or wanted to be the center of attention. In fact, he preferred to stand just off to the side — unless, of course, there was a keyboard in front of him. Then he was more than happy to let a solo do the talking.

His optimism wasn’t loud, but it was steady. He didn’t dwell on blame or linger in the past. He believed in fixing what could be fixed and moving forward. He brought laughter into rooms. He was protective, deeply loyal and endlessly proud of his family.

He adored celebrating the accomplishments of his sons, David and Kyle, his daughter-in-law Jessica and Kyle’s partner Erin. And he was especially proud of his grandchildren, Logan, Jackson and Elise, attending every soccer game, volleyball game, baseball game, taekwondo testing, play and concert he could. His grandchildren lit up his life in a way that words hardly capture. Whether it was a fun-filled trip to the lake or just getting ice cream, those were the moments that mattered most to him.

If you were lucky enough to know Roger, you remember his laugh and the way he made you laugh. Or the way he could make an ordinary afternoon feel like enough. Or how safe it felt to stand beside him.

He simply showed up. For his family, for his friends, for the music, for the water, for the next game, for the next season of life.

And in that steady presence, he built something lasting.

Roger is survived by his wife Lori; sons David (Jessica) and Kyle (Erin); and grandchildren Logan, Jackson and Elise. He is also survived by his mother, Patricia Hoehle and sisters Glenda Akers and Patricia Sprague.

Roger was preceded in death by his father Glenn Sprague, stepfather Don Hoehle, father-in-law Galen Johnson and mother-in-law Freida Johnson.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 12-3 p.m. at The Atrium on Tenth, 22 N. 10th St., Columbia, Missouri. The family encourages attendees to dress casually and comfortably. Suggested options include colorful beach themes, sundresses, sports jerseys/shirts/hoodies (no Jayhawks or Cubs-related attire, please), shorts, flip-flops, fun sneakers or whatever you’d wear when hanging out with Roger.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to TRYPS Children’s Theater of Columbia.