It was a year of adversity for Roger and his health. Like everything in his life, he took it all in stride with measures of spiritual awareness, patience, humility, and humor--key tenets that defined the way he lived and the impact he had on so many people.
Roger was born on November 24, 1938, in Logan Utah, the first and only son of Aleda and Wilford. He spent his childhood and adolescent years in Cache Valley and the surrounding mountains, where he developed a deep appreciation of nature, and inherited a smart, comical wit from the ever-loving mother who raised him and helped shaped his life.
Roger’s faith and spirituality was a defining pillar of his persona, and at age 19 he began, in earnest, a lifetime of service dedicated to the Lord as he left to serve a mission in Australia for the LDS Church.
Upon his return, he finished his studies at Utah State University, earning his Bachelor’s in Graphic Arts. A fitting academic achievement for his creative, artistic, and detail-oriented mind.
It was also around this time he first encountered the love of his life. It may have been his dashing good looks, his corny jokes, the infectious smile, his unwavering faith, or the classy 1955 Chevy he owned that won her over. On November 6, 1962, he and Harriet Griffin were married in the Logan temple, and the two were inseparable for nearly 42 years before she passed away.
In the years following their marriage, the couple moved to Salt Lake City where they started their family, eventually having four children. Two K’s and two J’s. Although the ages of their kids spanned 13 years from oldest to youngest, Roger was a loving, kind, empathetic and patient father to every one of them. His family-first approach to parenting endured until his final day, and throughout his life he taught them all lessons of spirituality, instilled personal anecdotes of wisdom, made them all laugh out loud, and loved them all equally.
Roger also launched his professional career in Salt Lake after accepting a position at Deseret Press. This marked the beginning of a vocation that spanned nearly 40 years in the printing industry where he oversaw the production and layout of many printed texts and publications distributed by the LDS Church.
Throughout his life, Roger willingly held a wide range of religious callings, serving as both a bishop and member of the Stake Presidency. He was also a lover and scholar of LDS history and gospel teachings. He found great joy and peace in volunteering his time at the SLC Temple, as a docent at the Church History Museum, and as a missionary for the second time when he and Harriet served in Palmyra, New York.
While religion and faith guided the life he lived, Roger was also a man of diverse interests, unique talents, and hilarious quirks.
For decades, he was a devoted steward for the Boy Scouts of America, earning the organization’s highest awards for his dedicated service and leadership. His campfire songs were legendary, his knot tying abilities supreme, and his craftsmanship in creating a 1st Place winning Pinewood Derby car were unmatched.
His wood-working skills and attention to detail also transcended into his retirement hobby. Roger was a true craftsman with a scroll saw, and over many years he amazed family, friends, and neighbors with his detailed & meticulous creations—even winning a Blue Ribbon at the Salt Lake County Fair.
Everything in Roger’s life had a place, a purpose, and a way to be done. This deliberate approach to everyday living drew out the best and most entertaining mannerisms he had to offer. If you knew Roger, you loved him for the precision and detail that came with everything he did. Whether he was taking care of his yard, wrapping a gift, scripting a handwritten note in perfect cursive, or bottling peaches--if a job was worth doing, it was worth doing well, and it always showed.
A few years after Harriet’s passing, Roger met Patricia Russon and began a new partnership and chapter in his life. The two were Yin & Yang, but also kindred spirits that complimented each other affably and with affinity. They married in the Jordan River Temple on August 2, 2006, and enjoyed their gilded years traveling, enjoying the company of friends and family, and relishing in the companionship and love of one another.
To say that Roger had a zeal for life, and the afterlife he knew was calling to him, would be a dramatic understatement. We’re overwhelmed with emotion at the sudden loss of a tremendous father, husband, grandfather, and friend, but take solace in knowing that the gates of Heaven were wide open for him, with many loving arms awaiting his embrace.
Roger is survived by his wife Patricia, four children (from his marriage to Harriet), Kelly (Michelle), Jennifer (Mike), Karey (Dave), Jared (Shanon), two step-children, Tracie (Mike),Travis (Amber), 13 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and countless others who considered him a friend and confidant.
