We'll miss you Roger

I had the great pleasure of working closely with Roger for three years. As I think back on the interactions we had I have to smile because I realize now that most of those times were spent laughing. He died of cancer last Friday.

Roger
~ 6/13/08

We teased sometimes that Roger was a bit OCD. I learned this early on because once, when sitting on his desk, I reached down and took a big swig of his coffee thinking it was mine. "Ooh!" I said "This isn't mine. It's sweet!" He looked up at me in horror as everyone else around us laughed hysterically. Oops.

What else can I tell you about Roger...
He was a kind and generous person, opening his home to a fellow team member when she needed a place to stay. He liked to crank up the jazz in his headphones, sometimes so loud that I could hear it in the next cubicle over (which we later laughed about often). He loved his muscle cars. He drove them fast and with the top down. He spent hours keeping his painted driveway clean, frustrated with the mess made by the overhanging tree. He brooded over (but eventually gave in to) dents in his hardwood floor from high heels when women in his life would visit his home. He would build and repair computers for friends without hesitation. We liked to laugh together at loud call center conversations on the other side of the cubicle wall.

At work he was loyal and dedicated, having given more than 30 years to the utility (heck, it might have even been 40). He was methodical and technically savvy. He had more PC's and monitors on his desk than any non-IT person I've ever known. He was always eager to share his knowledge with other colleagues - all you had to do was ask and he would help you figure out the answer to a puzzle. He was never, ever petty and never hoarded information and skills. He was patient even when others were demanding. He gave so much of his time and his energy to the people around him.
He will be greatly missed.