Roger Sauder

Shirley and Roger Sauder’s loving marriage of 70 years and 10 months, came to an earthly end this past April 11th when Shirley June (Willaman) Sauder passed to glory. Roger Edward Sauder joined her in glory on August 17th. Shirley had endured graciously through Alzheimer’s for several years. Roger passed quickly from heart failure after a brief rally following a heart attack. Roger and Shirley met in kindergarten at Jackson township schools and were special to one another from the beginning. Roger started sending Shirley love notes in the fifth grade. Shirley was a beauty and Roger was an athlete. She played clarinet in the high school band while Roger played the trombone. He led the Jackson Polar Bear varsity basketball team in scoring. Roger graduated from high school early to serve in the United States Navy during World War II. Two days after his ship left San Francisco, May 8, 1945, the Germans surrendered. The war in the Pacific would continue until August 15, 1945. Roger was assigned to a Liberty ship that took him to ports in the Pacific. His tanker fueled all ships returning to home ports, both Allied and Axis. Upon returning from the war, Roger, son of the late H.C. Sauder and Ilo (Shobe) Sauder, married Shirley, daughter of the late Arvine C. Willaman and Rhea Radna (Lutz) Willaman on June 27, 1948 in St. Jacobs Lutheran Church, Massillon, Ohio. They moved to Columbus, Ohio where Roger attended The Ohio State University on the GI bill while Shirley worked full time to help with expenses and furnish their home. He graduated with a degree in Accounting while developing a love for the OSU Buckeye football team. Roger’s brother Donald and father H.C. Sauder were also OSU graduates. Roger and Shirley would be football season ticket holders for many years. After graduation Roger went to work for Nationwide Insurance Company working in Columbus and Canton, Ohio where he served in a variety of management positions and often traveled to Regional offices before retiring after 35 years. While raising their daughters Shirley worked for the Sauder School Library and Kent Stark University Library. She was known to keep a very neat and organized home while enjoying hosting family and friends for parties, holidays and bridge games. Later in life Roger and Shirley retired from North Canton, Ohio to Punta Gorda, Florida. They spent almost 20 years there, built two homes, survived two hurricanes, golfed and traveled in Europe and the Orient. They spent fall seasons in Ohio visiting family and attending the OSU home games prior to moving back to Ohio to be nearer to a daughter as they aged. When the last of their two daughters moved west, Roger and Shirley followed her, living in their own home then moving together to a nearby Senior Care Facility in AZ which was their last earthly address. Roger and Shirley are survived by two daughters, Susan G. Decker of CA and Sherry A. Rees of AZ, 4 adult grandchildren with the sixth great grandchild on the way. Roger was preceded in death by parents and his step-mother Dorothy May (Alexander) Sauder of FL, brother Donald of CA, and 2 half-sisters June Preusser and Joyce Garn both of FL. Shirley leaves her sister Nancy (Willaman) Johnson of Massillon, Ohio and brother ‘Chip’ A.C. Willaman Jr. of Fort Pierce, FL. The family will miss Roger and Shirley dearly but are confident that they are now in their permanent home together after 20 moves over their 70 years together and will not need to relocate ever again, to which Shirley will be forever thankful. A memorial service will be held in their honor on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at the Paquelet Funeral Home in Massillon. The family will receive friends starting at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to H.C. Sauder Elementary School library in memory of Roger and Shirley Sauder. Checks may be made mailed to 7503 Mudbrook NW Massillon, OH 44646 attention to Principal J. Reindel.