Roger Vale passed away on the morning of August 2, 2016. Born in Birmingham, England on July 26, 1948, Roger lived there until completing his PhD in physical metallurgy in 1976. His career then took him and his wife, Irmeli, to South Africa, and with the birth of their son, Mika, on to Sweden and New Jersey. Finally, Roger led the family to Utah in 1997, where he happily resided for the remainder of his life, even becoming a dual British-American citizen.
While a stroke in 2002 brought his career as a physicist to a premature end, his roles of father and husband were only strengthened. As a result of his persistence and dogged optimism in the face of immense difficulties, he never let his disability define him, and even with his limited speech, he learned to express himself more sincerely and meaningfully than most people are ever able to do. His cheeky humour, his genuine concern for the well-being of others, and his dedication to his family will be profoundly and endlessly missed.
He is survived by his son, Mika, and wife of 42 years, Irmeli, as well as many close family members in England, Finland, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the U.S.
Memorial services will be held at Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary, 1950 E. Dimple Dell Rd. (10600 S.), Sandy, Utah, on Monday, August 22nd at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Humane Society of Utah. Memories may be shared at www.larkinmortuary.com.
