Roger P. Hankle

Our beloved father Roger Hankle passed away peacefully on April 21 at the age of 87. He is survived by his sister, Mary Hankle, his former wife Nan Cecil (Wiley), his children, Jill Hill, Paul Hankle (Christi), Dan Hankle (Nancy), as well as his grandchildren Caroline Hill, Taylor Hill, Gus Hankle, Ted Hankle, and nieces Leah Hyer and Wendy Hankle, great nephew David Hyer, and great niece Elizabeth Hyer, stepchildren Jennifer Belu, Jeremy Rogers, and Jessica Grant, step grandchildren Ian Davis, Mason Rogers, Jack Rogers, William Grant, and Alexander Grant.

Roger was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on March 22, 1938. He grew up with a natural curiosity for how things work, and followed his father into the family business of electrical contracting, shepherding C & H Electric through hundreds of projects for decades. He served his country for six years in the Army National Guard and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. As a young man, Roger was invited on a boating excursion with friends at Lake Erie, and from that moment, he was hooked. He enjoyed a lifelong passion for all things nautical and he loved to speak about it with anyone who would listen. During the 1970’s and 80’s, fishing was a serious hobby for him, and he shared his bounty with an annual fish fry, serving up Lake Erie Perch to friends and neighbors. One of his favorite annual destinations was Kipawa Lodge, a remote fishing camp in Quebec, Canada, where he and his friends pursued Walleye and Northern Pike. He was skilled at waterskiing and when the lake was calm and the sun was shining, that activity held priority. Seeking to deepen his boating knowledge, Roger became involved with the United States Power Squadron, an organization dedicated to boating safety and education. He became a volunteer instructor and taught classes on weather and celestial navigation. He and his late wife Joyce loved sailing to every corner of the Great Lakes, exploring small towns and ports of call along the way. They were members of the Great Lakes Cruising Club, and made deep friendships with many people in the sailing community.

A celebration of life will be held at one of his favorite spots, Cameo’s Pizza, in Sandusky, Ohio at 5:00 pm on Friday, June 20, 2025. All friends and family are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the United States Power Squadron Education Fund https://www.usps.org/national/edfund/contribute.htm