Roland married his high school sweetheart, LeVerne Pittman, on June 20, 1953. They enjoyed time spent with their family, golf, and travel around the world.
Roland graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1953 and received his B.A. and M.A. in three years. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from St. John’s University (New York). He served in the US Coast Guard and later worked for Western Electric and Bethlehem Steel before becoming President and CEO of Commercial Credit Company. He was proud to be a pioneer in the computer and credit card industries. In 1971, Roland and his family moved to Manhasset, NY when he became President and CEO of Eastern States Bankcard Association.
ESBA, under the leadership of President Eppley, had more than 150 member banks in the northeast. The ESBA model was repeated across the United States and in foreign countries.
In 1988, Roland retired from ESBA. He then served on the boards of several large banks, including JP Morgan Chase Mutual Funds.
He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, LeVerne; his three children, Kim Zaharris (Drake) of Baltimore, Kent (Lisa) of Darien, CT, and Todd (Carolyn) of Darien, CT; 12 grandchildren and his brother, Robert (Marlene) of Reisterstown, MD.
Donations in memory of Roland may be made to Trustbridge Hospice Foundation (trustbridgefoundation.org) 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.
