Roger Immanuel Person

Roger was a true patriot and loved his country very much.  In 1960 at the age of 19, Roger enlisted in the United States Navy where he worked as an engineer and served two tours in Vietnam delivering much needed supplies to American troops. Roger seldom spoke of his time in the service, however on occasion he would share a couple of his harrowing experiences, but only when asked. One of those experiences included the testing of atomic weapons. As Roger recounted, he was serving on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. Once they arrived to their destination, a smaller craft was dispatched to a small atoll where they prepared for the test.  Once the men returned and were back on board, the carrier relocated a safe distance from the atoll and the weapon was detonated. Roger would speak of how the ensuing shock wave was so intense, it physically rolled the ship to one side and then the other as the wall of sound rolled out and then back in. To hear him describe the image of the mushroom cloud would cause the hair on your arms to raise.

 In 1964 Roger met the love of his life Mary (Mason). Following a short courtship, the two married on September 28, 1964 in Bismark, N. D.  

When Roger’s time in the military ended, his work took the family to Portland, Ore.,  where they lived briefly before relocating east to The Dalles, where he worked for the Army Corps of Engineers at The Dalles Dam  in facilities & maintenance management.

 The Dalles is where Roger and Mary raised their two children Michael & Crystal as well as taking in countless foster children over many years, giving them a stable, loving home.  Indeed, many former foster children continued to call Roger and Mary “Dad and Mom” even though they had long since left the Person home.

Roger retired from the Army Corps of Engineers in 1995 at age 54.  In retirement, Roger enjoyed travelling, wood working and above all else, time with friends and family.  

Roger was a man of deep and abiding faith, which he and Mary passed down to their two children and ultimately to the grandchildren and great grandchildren. Because of his deep love for the Lord,  Roger was very active with his church The Dalles Evangelical Church, where he could be seen every Sunday morning greeting attendees and handing out Sunday bulletins with a cheerful smile and warm hug for all.

Roger is preceded in death by his father Royal Person, mother Borghild (Bjorngjeld) Person, brother Dale Person and sisters Barbara Rae and Rebecca Lynn Person.

Roger is survived by his wife Mary (Mason) Person, his son Michael Person, daughter Crystal and son-in-law Mitchel Jaros, brother Bruce Person, granddaughter Jade Lange and her husband Nicholas Lange and their two sons Harlan and Wesley Lange, granddaughter Katelyn Person, and numerous cousins.

A Memorial Service/Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 11 a.m. at The Dalles Evangelical Church at 1001 East 12th St in The Dalles, OR. Condolences can be sent/delivered to the above location.