Roger Z. Roth

Roger Z. Roth, of Lakeside-Marblehead, Ohio touched down in Heaven on December 12, 2024. A resident of Otterbein Northshore Retirement Village, he fought several months of lung cancer while being cared for by his wife Janet, Ashanti Hospice, and the Otterbein nursing staff.

Roger was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania January 14, 1938 to Carl George Roth and Loretta Irene Williams. He married Janet Gerhardt on Valentine’s Day, 1959. He earned an MBA from Bowling Green State University, and after working several years at Dana Corporation, he became the owner and CEO of Lunar Industries in Detroit, Michigan.

A lover of flight, he earned his pilot’s license and flew for 47 years, enjoying memberships in several flying clubs. Roger shared his passion for flying with his family in his Piper Tri-Pacer, and his beloved Piper Arrow. Late in life, he often reminisced about their flying adventures, including one family reunion weekend when he flew numbers of young nieces and nephews back and forth to Put-in-Bay. Until his passing, Roger kept his flight log book and photos of his Piper Arrow close by.

He is survived by his wife Janet, son Stephen, daughter-in-law Sherri, and grand dog Gracie of Catawba Island, granddaughter Samantha Lento, her husband Josh, and great-granddaughter Abigail, all of Jacksonville, Florida, sister-in-law Barbara Gerhardt of Burlington, North Carolina, and several beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son Stuart, brothers-in-law Dick Klapproth, Don Gerhardt, and Bob Gerhardt, and sisters-in-law Marilyn Klapproth and Fran Gerhardt.

Internment will be at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield, Ohio. Roger’s grandniece, Reverend Aly Baker, will officiate the private family graveside service.