Roger D. Hamilton

Roger was born on Sept. 24, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wis., to the late Donald and Rose (Knaus) Hamilton. He attended the Jesu School through eighth grade and graduated from St. John’s High School in Milwaukee in 1958.

Although he was born in Milwaukee, Roger spent all his summers with his grandparents on the family farm in Hurontown near Houghton. He often said that those summers were the happiest times of his youth.

Roger was a gifted athlete who excelled in baseball and basketball in high school, earning the nickname “Crazy 8.”

He umpired semi-pro baseball and bowled professionally, but left that all behind when he was reintroduced to what he called “The greatest game on Earth,” golf.

Roger was a member of Pine Grove Country Club and Apache Wells in Mesa, Ariz., amassing six hole-in-ones throughout his golfing career.

Roger started his professional career as a salesman, worked in construction, and at one time owned and operated the Tastee-Freez in Iron Mountain. After working for H&R Block, he decided to start his own accounting and tax practice in 1974, which featured in-home tax preparation. He eventually opened his office on Carpenter Avenue and retired in 2019.

It was during a tax appointment that Roger met a pretty redhead and later that day asked out on a date. Many dates later, Roger married Cheryl (Cheri) Patterson, his “Bride” and best friend, on Dec. 11, 1982, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Iron Mountain. They enjoyed 42 years of laughter and love.

Roger and Cheri enjoyed traveling south for the winter months, leading them to Mesa, Arizona, where they purchased their “home away from home.”

He also enjoyed watching western movies, the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Cubs, yard care in Michigan, and maintaining his fruit trees in Arizona.

Roger loved babies; it didn’t matter how little, he always wanted to hold them. Another passion of Roger’s was cars. Cheri accompanied him to numerous car lots, “just to look.” He eventually purchased his dream car, a 1936 Ford Roadster Convertible. His greatest joy was entertaining friends and family with backyard BBQs, grilling his famous steaks.

Roger is survived by his loving wife, Cheryl; his children, Ann Marie (Cliff) Fallon, Wendy (Michael) Moe, Susan (Jason) Wheeler, Angela (Nicholas) Gayan and Michael (Megan) Anderson; a sister, Marilyn Marks; his mother-in-law, Evelyn Patterson; a brother-in-law, Jerry Kuester (Donna); grandchildren Tyler (Aimee), Kellen (Alex), Chamara (Luke), Emma (Taylor), Abby, Casie (Samuel), Cameo (Joshua), Liam, Tiberius, Preston, Phillip, Charlie, Wesley, Wenton, Wendrew, Raina, and 13 great-grandchildren (with one on the way). He also leaves behind numerous relatives and friends, especially Bruce and Caroline LeBlanc, who did so much for Roger.

He was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law, Claude Patterson; a brother-in-law, Richard Marks; and a sister-in-law, Peggy Kuester.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home, 901 Carpenter Ave. in Iron Mountain, followed by a 5 p.m. service at the funeral home. Monsignor Joseph Gouin will officiate.

Roger’s family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the staff at Optalis, especially his favorite caregiver, Tanisha, who could handle his sass with her own.

Condolences may be expressed to the family of Roger D. Hamilton online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com

The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the funeral arrangements.