George Roger Roth

George Roger Roth

Died April 8, 2016

TRAVERSE CITY – George Roger Roth passed from this life on April 8, 2016 after a long illness in Traverse City.  Roger was born on Oct. 6, 1926 in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, the second son of George Frederick Roth and Dorothy (Patterson) Roth.  His early life in Ft. Thomas was idyllic; his father stressing the importance of a strong work ethic, and individual responsibility, and his mother by her example teaching kindness, courtesy, and thoughtfulness, principles he lived by all of his life.  He often expressed appreciation for his hometown, his upbringing, and the small town values gained by his father’s discipline and his mother’s kind and gentle love (accompanied by her homemade lemon meringue pie).

  Stories were told about how he and his brother, Pat, would sometimes violate their father’s admonition not to play in the Ohio River which meandered behind their house.  He was taught that it was necessary to be truthful, regardless of the anticipated consequences.  There were many fond stories about growing up in Ft. Thomas and his love for his old Kentucky home.  His emotions were never more on display than when the bugler sounded the call for “riders up” at the Kentucky Derby.  He always shed a tear on hearing “My Old Kentucky Home”, also when he heard “Dixie” and of course “The Star Spangled Banner” for he was a proud Navy Veteran of WWII and a patriot through and through.

  As youth Roger served as an acolyte at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Ft. Thomas.  He was very proud of being the quarterback on his state championship high school football team and being given All State honors.  He could recite the names, numbers, and positions played of each of his high school football teammates.  Continuing his football career in college he attended the University of Virginia where he also served in the Navy ROTC.  His academic and athletic endeavors were interrupted by WWII when he enlisted as a Navy officer.  After the war he enrolled in the electrical engineering program at Purdue.  He was still a quarterback and now a Boilermaker.

  His first job out of college and for many years was with General Electric in New York.  While at GE he was instrumental in creating a program for the development of small electric engines, a business new to GE which he and John McCarty convinced his superiors to establish.  It continues to be a very successful division of GE today.  His entrepreneurial spirit called in 1957 and he established his own business, Roth Industrial Sales, in Bloomfield Hills, again achieving much success.  He was known for his honesty, fairness, and absolute integrity by all who were friends and clients, traits he learned on the banks of the Ohio so many years before.  He was also known for his fabulous Kentucky Derby parties where after the bets were laid, the bugle sounded, “My Old Kentucky Home” was sung, tears were shed, and the race was run, the world’s best mint juleps were served.

  After retirement in 1986 Roger had more time to spend in his spectacular gardens at his Bloomfield Hills home.  There was never a rose too finicky to thrive under his hand.  He began spending more and more time in Leelanau County with the love of his life and wife of 35 years, Shirley.  They spent many beautiful springs and summers in Leelanau County, picking morel mushrooms (which Shirley would cook the old fashioned way, egg and crumb mixture fried in butter) and on the shores of Lake Michigan.

  In later years Roger lived at Orchard Creek Supportive Care and his beloved Shirley was just across the parking lot so she could visit him almost daily.  The staff at Orchard Creek Supportive Care was most caring and understanding of Roger’s illness.  The family wishes to especially thank June Hanson, who personally saw that he was lovingly attended to, and Sharon, the cook, who made him special treats including lemon meringue pies from scratch, and Sandy, who patiently engaged Roger in games and activities.  These are special people truly caring for a person whom they recognized as special.  Roger was a beautiful person who lived a beautiful life, not without its challenges, but always with good humor, courtesy, and most importantly with kindness and thoughtfulness to others.  As June so often remarked she had never seen a more kind-hearted and polite person.  He as true Kentucky gentleman.

  Roger is survived by his beloved wife, Shirley; two children, George Roger (Kelley) Roth, Lee (Richard) Schnupper; two step-children, Dona Scott (Bill) Laskey, Claudia (Mike) Scott-Pavloff; three grandchildren, Kyle Roth, Taylor Roth, Parker Roth; four step-grandchildren, Robert Scott Parker, Donald Scott Parker, Cristina Pavloff, Lara Pavloff, and six great grandchildren.

  He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and first wife.

  Those who loved Roger, and that was all who knew him, believe he is once again with his dear mother, enjoying her wonderful lemon meringue pie.

  A memorial service will be held at a later date.

  Donations in remembrance of Roger can be made to the Cherryland Humane Society, 1750 Ahlberg Road, Traverse City, MI, 49686.

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