Roger Huntington

Roger Nelson Huntington age 81, of Knox, IN, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday, August 1, 2022. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Lois Huntington (nee Casey); children, Denise (Bill) Eisman, Debra (Chris) Sobota and Raymond (Lynette)Huntington; grandchildren, Jennifer (Matt)Novotney, Erin (Ben)Gettinger, Jacob (Holly)Sobota, Michael (Abbi)Hughes, Kevin Hughes and Isaac Huntington; great grandchildren, Leah Novotney, Jack Gettinger, Emily Gettinger, Elizabeth Sobota, Thomas Sobota and Reed Hughes; sister, Bonnie (David)Huntington-Stone and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Enda Huntington and daughter Diane Nicole Huntington. In recognition of his love for others, in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to following organizations that can improve the lives of those in need. The Diane Nicole Huntington Scholarship at Purdue Northwest, Office of Advancement, which he and his wife established to provide financial assistance to students in the Elementary Education Program. Other organizations Roger valued that were close to his heart were the National Kidney Foundation and the American Heart Association. Roger loved to read. In his early life, he struggled with the various difficulties associated with undiagnosed dyslexia. But, when his children were young, he would read to them every night, even if he just had to make up a story to fit the pictures. While reading to them, he fell in love with books. The first novel he read cover to cover was Watership Down. He quickly picked up on the metaphor for communism but didn’t realize it was about rabbits until near the end. Learning to read wasn’t the only aspect of Roger’s life where he applied immeasurable dedication and determination. He was married for 61 years, and their story is one of devotion, effort, and love. Roger loved everyone in his family with all of his heart and taught them to approach the world with kindness and humor. He was known at work for his unique solutions to complex problems. He could look at something and see “what was not there.” He always had a new project and would never leave a job unfinished. He worked forty-four years at Huhtamaki, Inc. in Hammond, IN and retired as the lead electrician. After his retirement, he helped design his and Lois’ dream home at Bass Lake, where he spent the last 17 years as a retiree and resident of Starke County. In 1961 he began a tradition that he maintained for the remainder of his life. Every Valentine’s Day, he would select cards for those he loved dearly and mail or hand-deliver them unsigned. As a result, he became known by his family as “The Valentine Fairy.” This past year he gave cards to his wife, four children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, he never got to meet his newest great-grandson, Reed, but he enjoyed the pictures and was likely planning to get seventeen cards next year. Roger also loved his community and friends. He was a member of Faith Church Munster, the Duneland Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, Mayflower Society, Bass Lake Property Association, Retiree Chapter Hammond Teachers Association, Associate member of the Indiana State Teachers Association, and a charter member of the Laurel and Hardy Another Fine Mess tent. He loved to travel and visited the Caribbean, Hawaii, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, France, India, Italy, Canada, and most of the US. He also had plans to visit Iceland, but they were canceled due to his diagnosis of acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, and COVID nixed the trip to upper Alaska too. Roger was resilient. He became an avid reader, despite the difficulties. He was a teenage husband that remained happily married for sixty-one and a half years. He battled leukemia, hearing loss, and a meningioma. At each turn, he fought and won. But eventually, his enormous heart, which loved so many people, couldn’t keep fighting. We will forever be grateful to the loving staff and doctors that took great care to ensure a peaceful transition to his next life, where he is reunited with his beautiful daughter Diane Nicole. A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 5, 2022 at 6:30 PM at Memory Lane Funeral Home, 6305 W Lincoln Highway, Crown Point, IN. Friends may visit with the family from 3:00 PM at the funeral home until the time of service at 6:30 PM.

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Roger Huntington

July 31, 1941 - August 1, 2022