Roger Dierking Obituary

An Open Letter To My Friend, “Rog”..

Well, you finally did it: you went out with a bang. No laughs, no goodbyes, nothing but gone. I have no choice but to respect your unannounced exit, but I would like to share a few stories that explain how you and your family became my second family.

Our families lived in a rural setting a few miles apart. You and your brothers went to a local public elementary school and I went to a parochial school in town. I had one brother, 6 years older, and craved more brothers.
It was the spring of 1954 and the baseball field of your school was busy with activity. I got on my bike and rode to the field with the expectation of playing with them. The coach greeted me and I asked if I could play ball with them and he graciously allowed me to practice with the school team from then on. That is where I met you and other local kids that now gave me the companionship I craved, but the real bonus was my exposure to your family. What a bonanza!!!!

All of a sudden, your home was also my home, my wish came true, I had 4 more brothers. Over the ensuing years, the bonds only grew stronger. You were my main companion, but your brothers were so easy to be around. They allowed me to share in their lives as well. And your mother, she was God’s gift to boys. She just doted over all of us that visited your home on a regular basis. I made it a habit, every time I came over, to greet your mom first, and give her a big hug. I called her MaMaJo and thanked her for her hospitality and her great sense of humor. I think that’s where you got it, because you were always good for a laugh and I mean always.

After you came over to my home and met my folks, they immediately took to you and loved to have you around. My mother loved your personality and you soon became one of our family. Isn’t that the way it should be among boyhood friends.

Over the next 15 years, we experienced a lot of living; from boyhood to teenagers to your adults to married family men. But we kept in contact and shared so much living; the sports, poker night in your basement with beer, summer weekend trips to Honey Hill beach, and the girls. Once the girls entered the picture, then there were the parties and the New Years celebrations and finally the weddings, where we stood up for each other.
And then, a lot of the contact diminished as we all went our separate ways. It wasn’t the same, but still, there was the occasional get together, until I moved 1000 miles away. It was a new world for my family and getting established with new friends a must. Well, we did it and all of a sudden it’s 55 years later and the only contact we had was a Chrismas Card, every year, without a miss. It wasn’t but a few months ago that I got this sudden urge to make phone contact with you. Something told me it was important for me to make sure that you knew that I still loved you.

We were able to have several conversations that lasted a few hours, and we picked up as if we called every week for all of those years. As we reminisced, the stories became today’s events, as fresh as ever. Oh, how joyous it was to hear your now gravely voice, but yet the same tone full of humor and wanting more. I am so grateful we had this farewell. I still regret my lack of contact over those many years but it would have been the worst regret of my life, if I hadn’t picked up the phone for one more laugh fest with my brother.
So, Rog, I bid you a fond farewell and hope you give my best to your Dad, Mom, Bob and Ray. They all meant so much to me.

With all the love I can muster, Rest in Peace, my friend and brother,

Ken Draganski
11/17/2025