Roger Francis Sutfin, a life-long resident of Chicago, Itasca, Glen Ellyn and Wheaton, and beloved husband, son, brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend passed away on February 2, 2018 after a valiant fight against pancreatic cancer.

Born on March 25, 1936 in Chicago, he always had plenty of stories about growing up "back of the (Union Stock) Yards" on the South Side and the mischief that he and his brother Frank and their friends would get into. He often credited the Boys Club of Chicago for getting him off the streets and for putting him on a right path.

God
Roger was a steadfast Christian and lived his faith. Never pushy, he believed that with Jesus first, everything else would fall into place. At one time or another he was a calm, diplomatic voice of reason while holding virtually every church lay-leadership position; he was comfortable sharing his faith with anyone at any time. He also felt called to be a volunteer fireman for several years.

Family
Roger met his beloved wife of 60 years Jeannette (Jan) in a Northern Illinois University cafeteria when their worlds collided (literally) over a tray of milk glasses. Their relationship was centered around church friends and activities which carried on throughout their marriage. While he was highly focused on providing for his family, he managed to be involved in important family events despite often working 70-hour weeks.

Work
After attending NIU on a partial basketball scholarship, he majored in music and was the most obvious tuba player in the marching band at 6'3" tall. Roger joined the army in 1957 during the Korean Conflict and stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He was always a proud veteran. His work life ranged from being a church organist and choirmaster, to a member of the Million Dollar Club at Investors Diversified Services in the 1960s, to being head of Public Relations for a real estate development company, Chief Operating Engineer at several buildings in downtown Chicago and the suburbs, professional real estate appraiser, talented locksmith, and whatever else he needed to do to support his family.  Roger didn't just do these diverse jobs to make a buck; he excelled at them. A fun perk of one job was family box seat tickets to the Ringling Bros. Circus when they came to town each year, much to the delight of the boys.

Leisure
Nothing pleased Roger more than finding a good deal, rescuing an old car from a barn or learning something new - as his vast collection of tools, hobbies and interests attest. Later in life he counseled his sons to "always have at least $200 in your wallet, because you just never know when you might find a good deal." When asked on his 80 ^th birthday about the secret to his longevity, he replied "trying as many things as possible" to keep ones' mind active and limber. If anyone could find his way into an interesting situation or deal, it was Roger.  In more relaxed moments, his uproarious laughter at a ridiculous sitcom or movie could be heard from a considerable distance.

Roger would focus on a hobby more than most would on their life's work, He loved classic cars, was an excellent mechanic, and restored many cars over the decades. He was President of the Austin Healey Club, the Model T Ford Club, the Fox Valley Electric Car Club, was an active member of the Model A Club, and was a regular at swap meets and local Friday night classic car meet-ups in the Chicago suburbs.

In addition to his prolific car hobby, he had an artistic side. He etched decorative glass, enjoyed welding – not just steel, but the soft, tricky metals that take skill and patience, and made stained glass artwork. Of course, music always remained a big part of his life. He continued to be active in choirs, leading and accompanying sing-a-longs at family gatherings, and singing duets with Jan.

King of the home "project" there was always a to-do list on the weekends; a typical Saturday morning would start by his waking up sons Gary, Gregg and Glenn at 7:30AM by exclaiming in a loud voice that it was "…already 9 o'clock and time to get to work." Yardwork, painting, cleaning gutters, window washing and/or working in the garage were usually on the docket.

In later years because of his own mobility issues due to a work accident, he became deeply involved with the disability employment skills training program at College of DuPage – helping others to be productive members of society. He traveled to Washington D.C. in the late 1980s to advocate for the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the first comprehensive civil rights law addressing the needs of people with disabilities.

He was preceded in death by his father Frank and mother Esther, and brother Duane Sutfin.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Rev. Jeannette (Jan), brother Frank (wife Carol) and sons Gary (wife Sarah), Gregg (wife Tara), and Glenn (wife Kat), a whole bunch of beloved nieces, nephews, grandkids and one great-grand child – all of whom loved their "Papa" and will remember his winning smile, sparkling blue eyes, ability to talk with anybody, and a willingness to help with anyone's life crisis or project.

Cremation and private family interment will be at a future date at Ridgewood Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Memorials may be directed to the Gary United Methodist Church, 224 N Main St, Wheaton, IL  60187 [ http://www.garychurch.org/ways-to-give/ways-to-give/ ] or The Boys and Girls Club of Chicago [ https://bgcc.org/tribute-and-memorial-gifts/ ].

Flowers received will be shared with the elderly and ill after the service.