Roger Jon Eliasen

Roger Jon Eliasen

Sunrise - October 9, 1947

Sunset - April 7, 2026

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

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; and many nieces and nephews that he loved with all his heart.

Roger was born in St. Paul and he was the third of five children. He attended Van Buren grade school and Harding high school, graduating in 1965. Roger married 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 Roger, you'd come to know his other title too: the Garbage Picker. Roger had a grin that was absolutely contagious, and that grin appeared most often when Roger 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 Roger hosted an unforgettable Halloween party, complete with food, music, a costume contest, games, and prizes — and Roger 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. Roger also loved decorating for each and every holiday, and Christmas at Roger's was nothing short of spectacular. Roger made every holiday feel like an event worth remembering, and those who grew up with Roger 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. Roger loved shopping — particularly at Kohl's and HomeGoods — and Roger was, without question, a great gift giver. Roger 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 Roger's house empty-handed. It was heartwarming to know that Roger was always thinking about the people he loved, especially when he was out shopping. Roger also always enjoyed a good Hallmark card, and Roger would be genuinely disappointed if you showed up for any holiday without one.

Roger loved sharing his latest finds — a garage sale treasure, a collectible won on eBay, or something acquired through what Roger referred to as the "Black Market." If you know, you know.

Roger was employed by the U.S. Government at the age of 28, beginning his career at the Veterans Administration before transferring to the IRS, where Roger worked until his retirement in 2002 with 36 years of federal service.

Roger was a man of many talents and many curiosities. Roger 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. Roger dabbled in taxidermy for a time. Roger loved reading, and Roger 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 Roger was a man of many words, he had a well-known disdain for grammar.

Roger was the male version of Snow White. Animals loved Roger, and Roger 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 Roger always kept treats on hand.

Roger was eloquent and articulate in a way that was rare and remarkable. Roger 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. Roger 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. Roger was caring, generous, and loving to everyone around him, and Roger 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. Roger 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, Roger put his love of words to one last use. What follows is the last poem Roger 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 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.