Born on Leap Year Day in a small town in Georgia, Roger grew up with scouting, church activities, and high school football, but his dream was that of becoming an airplane pilot. Military service interrupted his college education, but he continued in night school wherever he found himself graduating with a B.S. Degree from Barry University in Miami, Florida. He piloted fighter airplanes in WWII, and crop-duster planes when aviation jobs were scarce. His aviation career spanned half a century most of which was spent in government service as an FAA Inspector and FAA District Office Manager.