Roger was born in Ord, Nebraska on February 19, 1931, to Vernon Thomas Dye and Ardyce Lucile Strong. He was the first member of the family born in a hospital. On his mother’s side, they could trace their lineage back to the Elder John Strong, who came to the America’s in 1632. Roger had two younger siblings: Vernyce Marie Dye Alm (1933 - 2017) and Keo Bess Dye (1935 - 1936). The family grew up in Burwell, Nebraska where Roger excelled in track and football and at one point was known as “the fastest man in Burwell”. He graduated from high school in 1949.
Roger’s first job out of high school was for the Chicago, Burlington, Quincy Railroad where he was an agent and became very proficient at Morse code. Looking for some excitement beyond Nebraska, he joined the USAF in 1950.
Adventures in the USAF
Roger’s adventures in the AF took him all over the globe, he met and married Carmencita Imutan in 1958 and had four children in various locations: Vernon Dye in Nebraska, Joseph Dye in Mississippi, Maria Dye Ruwaldt and Bruce Dye in Massachusetts.
He served during the Korean and Vietnam wars and was stationed at Clark AFB in the Philippines multiple times where he met Carmen. His military exploits include setting up long range communication systems across Southeast Asia (in the days before satellites were common), serving in the 1st Mobile Communication Squadron that set up air traffic control and communications on advance airfields during the Vietnam War, and he was also known as a “bi-polar man” having flown on the resupply planes for both Arctic and Antarctic stations. He retired from the USAF in 1973 at Kirkland AFB in New Mexico.
A Second Career
After the AF, he moved the family to Plainview, Texas, where he and Carmen both completed their college educations and he found his second calling as a teacher and occupational counselor. This led him to apply for a teaching job with the Department of Defense Dependent School System (DODDS) - the school system for American forces all across the globe. He was hired in 1979 and for the next 15 years he taught at schools in Belgium and Germany, before retiring a second time. He then accompanied Carmen to Panama while she completed her last assignment as a DODDS teacher. During their 15 years in Europe, they traveled every chance they could visiting many, many countries and sites of religious importance, including Lourdes, Medjugorje, and the Vatican. They somehow managed to build some education into their travel plans and they each picked up two master’s degrees along the way.
The Retirement Years
After Carmen’s retirement in ’96, they settled at the house in Lubbock, Texas. Together, they took on retirement with gusto. They joined Christ the King Catholic church and participated in many church activities. Roger often served as a lay reader and both became Eucharistic ministers providing communion services at Covenant Hospital. They also joined the Lubbock Filipino-American Association where they participated and led many activities and also hosted many Filipino feasts in their Lubbock home. After many years of moving with the AF and DODDS, settling in Lubbock finally gave them the chance to build many great and enduring friendships in the community. Between activities, they loved to travel to visit their children and grandchildren.
After several years battling the slow decline of Alzheimer’s Disease, an infection led to his death on May 5, 2024. The epitaph that he wrote for himself, and as much perhaps to Carmen, his wife of over 65 years, is “We did it all!”
Roger is survived by his wife Carmen; children Vernon, Joseph, and Maria; ten grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Bruce Dye in 2019.
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In lieu of gifts or flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association to support research for a cure using the Roger Dye tribute page (http://act.alz.org/goto/Roger_Dye). Finally, please take the time to educate yourself on ways to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease for yourself and your loved ones (www.alz.org).
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