John D. Roche

John D. Roche, 83, of Palm Harbor FL, died June 14, 2012. Born April 20, 1929, the son of John F. Roche and Mildred Schmidt Roche, he grew up in Floral Park, NY. After high school graduation, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and went on to serve 22 years as a pilot in the Air Force. He later worked as a claims analyst for the Veterans Affairs Administration and has authored four books to assist veterans in making successful claims. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Patsy Stone Roche, a daughter, Nancy Roche Allen of Olympia, WA, and sons Bruce Roche of Beaufort, SC, Robert Roche of St. Petersburg, FL, and Patrick Roche, of Las Vegas, NV, and grandchildren, Sam Roche of Knoxville, TN, Ben Roche of Chicago, IL, Robert Roche of St. Petersburg, FL, and Cody Roche of Las Vegas, NV.

John Roche’s involvement as a veteran’s advocate began before he retired from the US Air Force. His VA actions on behalf of retired military personnel came to the attention of the St. Petersburg Regional Offices’ adjudication office. After seeing the treatment veterans received from the VA, Mr. Roche became a staunch advocate for their rights. After leaving the Air Force, John joined the VA regional office’s adjudication division as a claims specialist. During the three years he was with the VA, he completed its 1,500-hour formal training program and gained considerable insight into why so many claims were denied. Veterans did not know how to prove their claims; they relied on the VA to do it for them. Health reasons caused him to step down as an active veteran’s advocate with the county service in 1996. Even in retirement, he continued consulting on behalf of veterans, culminating in numerous judgments for deserving veterans who had been originally denied benefits by the VA.

Mr. Roche was a published writer specializing in veterans’ issues and authored four books on the subject. His books have introduced him to veterans worldwide, who had legitimate claims denied. The books are The Veteran’s Survival Guide ; How to File and Collect on VA Claims, The Veteran’s Survival Guide, 2nd ed., The Veteran’s PTSD Handbook, and Claim Denied! How to Appeal a VA Denial of Benefits.

Mr. Roche was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans, the National Association for Uniformed Services, and the Military Officer’s Association of America. He was also a member of Congressman Bilirakis’s advisory board.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Disabled American Veterans, Attn: Gift Processing, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH, 45250-0301