Roger Alan Skaggs
3 Post Condolences
On Thursday 8/13/15, Roger unexpectedly passed away. Roger leaves his wife of 8 years, Teri Jo McNamara, his son Josh and his daughter Brinley; his sister Becky and brother Rick; mother-in law Joanne; brothers-in-law Dave, Patrick, Kory, Scott, and Burt; sisters-in-law Nena, Julie, Susan and Cheryl. He was proceeded in death by his own parents Richard and Judy; father-in-law Gary.
Roger was a simple and honorable man. He did not have grand aspirations of extravagance. He was intensely loyal to his family, to his friends. He was unselfish and always willing to help others no matter what. He loved the outdoors, he was most comfortable in the simple surroundings of the earth our lord has given us, at peace when he was immersed in nature.
Roger was an expert fisherman, for several years he actively participated in professional bass fishing tournaments, he was also an avid deer hunter and salmon angler. He also took great pride in his gardening and landscaping practices. His lawns were manicured and his garden was tended with the nurturing care only few men in life can achieve, and his bountiful harvests were proof.
For the majority of Roger's adult life, he was a professional trucker. Roger thoroughly enjoyed his career behind the wheel. On the road, Roger found contentment. Driving truck professionally is harder then people think. Roger excelled at it, in fact he earned a Two Million Safe Miles award; that is 2,000,000 miles driven without incident. It is an award that fewer then 1% of all professional truckers ever achieve.
But for all the simplicity of Roger's lifestyle, he was a complicated person inside. Roger's adolescence was filled with challenges and hard life lessons. Roger learned all to early in life that he wasn't wired up exactly the same as everyone else, he experienced tough times which shaped his outlook on life and tempered his character. The day came when the unavoidable occurred and Roger was involved in a horrible truck accident where a life was lost. Though not responsible, Roger was devastated; he was injured physically, he was injured mentally. They were wounds which would never fully heal.
In 2004, Roger met my sister Teri and they quickly fell in love. Roger took Teri's son Josh on as his own. Teri and Roger were married and were blessed with the birth of their daughter Brinley. Roger would tell you exuberantly that those were the two best days of his life. Brinley was his pride and joy, the child he had believed he'd never have. There was nothing in this world which Roger wouldn't do for her, and there was nothing in this world which Roger felt was good enough for Brinley. It was core to Roger's being that she always have the best.
It is often said that we never know the daily battles people have within their own minds. For some of us, these are nothing more then an occasional bad dream. For others it can cause debilitating issues. For Roger, it was the latter. He suffered daily with the stresses of his own expectations. He strived to cope with the limitations ingrained in his DNA. He had to endure the lasting physical and mental trauma of his accident all while attempting to navigate the broken and insufficient mental health system which exists in our society. Mental health issues are an incredibly difficult and complex. There is no surgery, no magic pill, no rehab method, no holistic medicine to untangle the neuro pathways of a damaged mind. It is an incredibly tormenting life. It is a heavy burden on the person experiencing it, it is punishing on the people closest, it is unimaginable to those not near. For Roger, it was ultimately too much to bear.
For those of us closest to Roger, we loved him and accepted him for who he was. A man with the best of intentions always. A man who loved his family with every ounce of his being. He was pure of heart. There were no complicated motives or agendas in Roger's thoughts. If you were Roger's friend, you were blessed to experience what a loyal and committed friendship meant.
Please say a prayer today for Roger, Teri, Josh, Brinley, Rick and Becky, and our families, as we endure these hardest days, the days when the answer to “why” will never come.
For Roger, his pain has ended and he will meet the Lord our God and be blessed and forgiven accordingly.
We will miss him.
A memorial service will be held 1pm, Saturday, August 29, 2015 at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca. Visitation will take place from noon until the time of the service.
In addition to this event, there will be a memorial open house and meal at 4:30pm at the New Haven Township Hall, 3027 Buchanan Rd., Middleton (near the intersection of Warner Rd. and Buchanan Rd.). Please bring any and all stories, pictures, and memories to share.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to do so may send cards to P.O. Box 95, Maple Rapids, MI 48853 or may contribute to a trust fund set up for Josh and Brinley at Commercial Bank in Ithaca, MI.
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