Obituary
Roger James Timmer passed away peacefully on June 13, 2025. Roger was born on July 18, 1931, to Fred and Alice Timmer in Zeeland, Michigan. One of seven children, he grew-up on a small family farm after his family lost their car dealership business during the Great Depression. Working on the farm as a child instilled a strong work ethic in him that lasted his entire life. However, Roger still found time to enjoy farm life like riding cows with his younger brother for fun.
From the beginning of his education in a one-room schoolhouse, Roger was always a good student, often doing homework for his friends to help them. During high school, he enjoyed learning and had an aptitude for mathematics. After he graduated, Roger obtained his first job in the automotive industry walking miles every day to work until he saved enough money to purchase his first car.
Roger continued working in the automotive industry throughout his life moving to Georgia and Tennessee before returning to Michigan in his later years. Self-taught in the areas of electroplating and plastics engineering, he progressed up the echelon to eventually be Plant Manager at several companies and finally Technical Director at Lacks Industries in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from which he retired. Continuing after retirement to consult in several American automotive companies and even German automotive companies, he had five patents under his name. Roger was honored by being awarded the title of Fellow by the American Electroplating Society for contributions and improvements in the industry.
Upon marrying, Roger was drafted into the Marines during the Korean War. He served his country by teaching electrical engineering to fellow servicemen. Upon returning from the war, he continued to add to his family and built his own house by himself after coming home from work every day. He is survived by his wife, Doris Ann Timmer, and his children, Cathy Ann Cotter, Linda Jean Kirby, Barbara Lynn Schulle, and James David Timmer, and his step-child, Kelley Leigh Moody. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Lois Lee Calvi. Roger’s family extends to numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and even great-great-great-grandchildren. Family life was important to Roger, and therefore he took his family on many vacations traveling throughout the United States and internationally to numerous countries during his lifetime.
Roger was always a happy person who was able to balance work and play in life. He was an excellent golfer throughout his life, playing both national and international courses. He was able to brag that he had a total of five Holes-in-One. He excelled at other sports, too, including shuffleboard (2024 Master Champion), bowling, and horseshoes, winning individual and team awards in all of them. Roger also loved playing games, especially cards, with both family and friends. Most of the time, he wound-up being the winner.
Roger was blessed with a good, long life which he attributed to his devotion to God. Growing-up in a religious family, he was saved at the age of 9 1/2 years-old, and he lived his entire ninety-three years in service to the Lord. He served many years as a Deacon at numerous Baptist churches that he attended throughout his life. During his eighties, Roger traveled to South America for two weeks on a missionary trip where he built outhouses from scratch for the indigenous people. He was a jack-of-all-trades and could build or fix almost anything, so he is well-known for helping family, friends, and even neighbors. During his nineties, Roger still helped everyone he knew, and he devoted time working at the First Baptist Thrift Store in Leesburg helping those he would just meet. Upon his death, he knew he would be leaving this world to join God in the heavenly realm. Roger was truly at peace.
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