Roger Allan Marlow's Obituary
Roger Allan Marlow was born on a farm near Tamaroa, Illinois on September 17, 1939. He was the second child born to Clarence Orville and Beulah Emily (Watts) Marlow. It was a home birth, practically unknown today, but not uncommon at the time. Roger's childhood was a typical one. When he was a small boy, he played outside and helped with light chores around the farm, which was a small endeavor. As he grew older, he helped pick peaches on his uncle Herb's farm, which adjoined the "home place." As a teenager, he bailed hay for neighbors to earn spending money and to save for college. Roger never saw himself as a farmer, but his life took real direction when, in high school, he took an after school job at a local drug store in Pinckneyville. His experience there introduced him to the profession of pharmacist and he knew that was the career path he wanted to follow.
After graduating from Pinckneyville Community High School in 1957, Roger was admitted to the University of Illinois in the College of Pharmacy, Chicago. On June 9, 1961, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from that institution. He was the first in his family to earn a college degree. Roger practiced his profession as a pharmacist for more than fifty years, spanning the years from 1961 until his retirement in 2013.
As a health professional, most of Roger's time was spent in urban settings, filling prescriptions and serving the general needs of his customers. Long hours on his feet in the confined spaces behind the pharmacy counter, made him recall and appreciate those early days outdoors on that small farm in Perry County. The roots of his love for growing things ran deep and those connections lead him to develop a passion for gardening. Beginning with growing vegetables for the family dinner table, his enthusiasm for gardening soon lead him to a more challenging agrarian endeavor, rose gardening. Roger soon discovered that growing roses, with its many challenges, was the perfect blend of his two passions-science and gardening. Throughout his adult life, wherever Roger called home, if there was a patch of tillable soil, he established and nurtured a lovely rose garden, often showcasing an extensive variety of hybrid roses.
In addition to gardening and a demanding career, Roger found time to enjoy some fun traveling. His adventures took him to many locations within the continental United States and even to Europe on more than one occasion. Roger also enjoyed sailing. Though he never owned his own sailboat, he would rent one from time to time. One memorable sailing excursion was one he shared with his son Steve off the coast of Florida. Whether he was traveling by car, air, or in recent years in an RV, Roger was always open to new sights and experiences.
Roger is survived by his wife, Alice (Stratton) Marlow, his daughter Elizabeth Ann (Marlow) Guerrero and her husband Adrian Guerrero, and his son Steven James Marlow. Roger was also blessed with two grandsons, Adam and Anthony Guerrero and great grandchildren Sequoia Guerrero and Dante Guerrero. His extended family includes stepchildren Andy Jenkel and his wife Christy; Betsy (Jenkel) Wilson and her husband Matt; and grandchildren Alex Jenkel, Samantha Jenkel and Zachary Jenkel.
Roger will also be missed by his sisters Marilyn (Marlow) Gerlach and her husband Willis and Ramona (Marlow) Hatch and her husband Dustin, as well as his niece Angela (Gerlach) Truluck and her husband Randy; he is also survived by numerous nephews and nieces.
Roger was preceded in death by his brother Darroll Marlow, his nephew Terry Gerlach, his brother-in-law John Stratton, and his mother-in-law Beatrice Stratton.
Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church, Pinckneyville, IL, on Friday, January 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., with Brother Rob Mathis officiating. Interment will be at Mueller Hill Cemetery, Pinckneyville, IL.
Visitation will be held at First Baptist Church, Pinckneyville, IL, on Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and again on Friday morning from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.
Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, IL has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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