Roger Jon Eliasen

Roger Jon Eliasen

Sunrise - October 9, 1947

Sunset - April 7, 2026

Roger is survived by his daughter, Tracy Gerner (Jason) and his son, Ryan Eliasen (Tina); his siblings, Melanie Eliasen and Julie (Chris) Bourgoin; his grandchildren, Kellie, Gage, Alexis, Everlea, and Ava; and his great-granddaughter, Kalianah; his partner, Tom Hughes; and many nieces and nephews that he loved with all his heart.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Ella; his wife, Kathleen; his husband, Leight (Lee) Engebretsen; his partner, Daniel Hetue; his beloved son, Rodger; his siblings, Robert and Judy (Duane) Jordan; and his brother-in-law, Ricky Russ (Linda).

Roger was born in St. Paul and was the third of five children. He attended Van Buren grade school and Harding high school, graduating in 1965. Roger married his soulmate Kathleen in 1974 and lost her to cancer in 1995.

Roger was, in every sense of the word, one of a kind.

Roger was an avid card player — self-proclaimed King of Canasta — and if you spent enough time around a card table with him, you'd come to know his other title too: the Garbage Picker. He had a grin that was absolutely contagious, and that grin appeared most often when he was being sneaky or pulling something clever. If you saw it during a card game, it was already too late.

Roger loved hosting. Every year he hosted an unforgettable Halloween party, complete with food, music, a costume contest, games, and prizes — and made sure everyone had fun, whether they were feeling up to it or not. Those who were dragged in reluctantly were always glad they came. Roger had a gift for that — for forcing joy into a room, and making it stick. He also loved decorating for each and every holiday, and Christmas at Roger's was nothing short of spectacular. He made every holiday feel like an event worth remembering, and those who grew up with him know just how deeply that gift will be missed.

Roger enjoyed baking cakes and pies for card players, birthday parties, and for family gatherings, and his house was never short on a wide variety of desserts. He loved shopping and loved sharing his latest finds. He was, without question, a great gift giver. He had an uncanny talent for buying gifts people never thought they needed but found to be incredibly useful or deeply sentimental. You almost never left his house empty-handed. It was heartwarming to know that he was always thinking about the people he loved, especially when he was out shopping. Roger also always enjoyed a good Hallmark card, and would be genuinely disappointed if you showed up for any holiday without one.

Roger was employed at the Veterans Administration before transferring to the IRS, where he worked until his retirement in 2002 with 36 years of federal service.

He was a man of many talents and many curiosities. He invented a board game called Shopping Spree — it was never bought and mass produced, but well-known within the family for its ability to cause heated arguments. He dabbled in taxidermy for a time. Roger loved reading, and had a deep love for old black-and-white movies, particularly comedies and musicals, as well as music from the 1940s and 50s. Above all, Roger loved writing poetry — and although he was a man of many words, he had a well-known disdain for grammar.

Roger was the male version of Snow White. Animals loved him and he loved them — from his dogs Scout and Bear, to the Cardinal he would whistle to from outside so it would come eat from its special feeder, to the neighbor's dog, Lucy, for whom he always kept treats on hand.

He was eloquent and articulate in a way that was rare and remarkable. He always thought carefully before he spoke, and when Roger told a story — even one you'd heard a dozen times before — you were completely entertained every single time. He had a way with words that was all his own. Roger wasn't one for playing devil's advocate so much as he was an Angel Advocate, always finding the generous and thoughtful perspective in any situation. He was caring, generous, and loving to everyone around him, and had a deep appreciation for the things most people would never think twice about.

There is truly no one any of us will ever meet like Roger in our lifetime. He was so special in every way, and we will be truly lost without him — during the holidays and every single day.

He was our Sanctuary.

In the final chapter of his life, he put his love of words to one last use. What follows is the last poem he ever wrote — a final gift, in the way that only Roger could give one.

The Last Poem

For you this poem will be, the last I ever write,

No longer will I ponder, deep into the night,

To search out words with meaning, that also complete rhyme,

You could never realize, the required length of time,

It takes one to acquire, one single special word,

I imagine you would think, that the time spent is absurd,

Yet sometimes words require, much time on them be spent,

For their proper placement, to understand how they are meant,

So because you have little interest, in such words that I might write,

I drop my pen, to write nevermore, and to you I say good-night.

I close my mind to poetry, and to you I say good-night……

A special thank you to Dr. Pujara and his oncology team, as well as Minneapolis Radiation Oncology.

A visitation will be held in Roger's Home for family and friends at 12 PM (Noon) on Friday, April 10, 2026, with a time of reflection at 1 PM. Interment to follow at Fairview Cemetery, Stillwater, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred in his honor to This Old Horse, Donation Link for This Old Horse.