Roland Roy Kauffman

Roland R. Kauffman, a man whose quiet strength, steadfast devotion, and generous spirit touched everyone fortunate enough to know him, passed away after a brief illness. Born on December 12, 1944, in Silver Spring, Maryland, Roland lived a life measured not in years alone, but in the depth of his loyalties — to his country, to his family, and to the communities he served with such abiding care.

Roland came into the world as the son of Jay R. Kauffman and Mabel A. Kauffman, née Fox, both of whom preceded him in death, as did his beloved brother, Clifford J. Kauffman. Together, Roland and Clifford grew up in Silver Spring, sharing the ordinary joys and formative bonds of brotherhood that would shape Roland's lifelong commitment to family above all else. The values instilled by Jay and Mabel — honor, perseverance, and kindness — were ones Roland carried with him without fail throughout every chapter of his life.

At the age of eighteen, Roland answered the call of his country, enlisting in the United States Seabees in March of 1963. He served with dedication for nearly four years, completing his service in February of 1967, a period that encompassed the early years of the Vietnam era. Attaining the rank of Petty Officer third class, Roland earned distinctions that speak to the seriousness and courage with which he approached his duty: the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Fleet Marine Combat Operations Insignia, and the Campaign Medal. These commendations are a testament to his willingness to stand in harm's way so that others might not have to — a sacrifice this nation owes him an enduring debt of gratitude for having made.

It was in the warmth of home and family that Roland found his deepest joy. He and Marie A. Kauffman, née Schlosnagle, built a life together spanning fifty years of marriage — a union that was, by every measure, the cornerstone of all he held dear. Their partnership was one of mutual devotion and shared purpose, and from it grew a family Roland cherished with his whole heart. He is survived by his son, Michael J. Kauffman, and his daughter, Yvonne M. Tousignant, née Kauffman, wife of John Tousignant — two children who carry their father's name and his example forward into the world.

Roland's legacy extends richly into the next generation. He is survived by seven grandchildren, each a source of immeasurable pride: Lieutenant Commander Jacquelyn Y. Tousignant and Specialist John J. Tousignant Jr., whose military service carries forward the tradition of duty and sacrifice that Roland himself so faithfully embodied — a testament to the example he set; Rachel Cornell Tousignant; Ashley A. Kauffman; Kevin Kauffman; Timothy J. Tousignant; and Jay Kauffman. He was further blessed to know the joy of great-grandparenthood through his beloved great-grandson, Timothy John Tousignant Jr., in whom the family's story continues its bright and hopeful arc.

Beyond the borders of his home, Roland gave generously of his time and leadership to the broader community. He served as chapter president of a Montgomery County organization, a role he embraced with the same earnestness and commitment that defined every endeavor he undertook. In that capacity, he worked to strengthen the bonds of community, to lend his voice and effort to causes larger than himself, and to model for his children and grandchildren what it means to show up — not only for family, but for neighbors, friends, and strangers alike.

Yet perhaps nowhere did Roland's spirit of service burn more steadily than in the work he undertook on behalf of those most easily forgotten. Beginning around the year 2000, he assumed the role of Incarcerated Veterans Chairman for the State of Maryland — a calling that would define much of his later years and demand from him not only his time, but his courage, his compassion, and his unrelenting persistence. He walked regularly into Maryland state prisons, not because it was easy, but because it was right. He believed, without reservation, that a man's service to his country did not become less real behind prison walls, and he was determined that those veterans would know someone still stood with them.

He did not go alone. Roland brought others into this mission with him — among them Jim Smith, Howard Clark and Joseph Jones, who accompanied him into correctional facilities in Jessup and Hagerstown, Maryland, attending veterans' group meetings alongside men whose sacrifices the world had largely moved on from. To witness Roland in those rooms was to understand, fully, what it means to lead by example. His crowning achievement in this work was the establishment of a Vietnam Veterans of America chapter inside the Jessup correctional facility — a chapter that today counts approximately fifty members, each one a living testament to the seed Roland planted with steady hands and an open heart.

His contributions to VVA Chapter 641 extended still further. As its Membership Chair and Historian, he took it upon himself to preserve the chapter's story for those who would come after. With characteristic care, he maintained founding documents and photographs organized across several binders — a meticulous labor of love that ensures future members will always know where they came from and who paved the way. The legacy Roland leaves is woven from many threads: the uniform he wore with honor, the vows he kept for fifty years, the children he raised, and the lives he quietly transformed — inside those prison walls as much as beyond them. He asked for nothing in return. He simply showed up, again and again, until the work was done.

He Is Survived By

His beloved wife of fifty years, Marie A. Kauffman (née Schlosnagle)

His son, Michael J. Kauffman

His daughter, Yvonne M. Tousignant (née Kauffman), wife of John Tousignant

His grandchildren: LCDR Jacquelyn Y. Tousignant; Rachel Cornell Tousignant; Ashley M. Kauffman; Kevin M. Kauffman; Timothy J. Tousignant; SPC John J. Tousignant Jr.; Jay R. Kauffman

His great-grandson: Timothy John Tousignant Jr.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jay R. and Mabel A. Kauffman, and his brother, Clifford J. Kauffman.

Those who knew Roland best knew also that his generosity extended to every creature that crossed his threshold. He had a lifelong, unconditional love of dogs — and a heart so wide that he could rarely turn one away. Over the years, he opened his home to countless four-legged companions, offering each one the same patient, steady affection he gave so freely to everyone he loved. In a life defined by service, his quiet devotion to these animals offered perhaps the most unguarded window into the man he truly was.

Roland R. Kauffman will be remembered as a man who never asked for recognition, yet whose presence made every room warmer, every burden lighter, and every family gathering richer for his being there. He leaves behind not an absence, but a living inheritance — of service, of love, and of the quiet, unshakeable faith that a life given in devotion to others is a life beautifully, fully spent.

United States Seabees ✦ 1963 – 1967 ✦ Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather

◆ Born December 12, 1944, Baltimore, Maryland ◆