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Roger Philip Foye

6/10/1943 - 5/23/2016

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Obituary For Roger Philip Foye

Roger Philip Foye, Sr., 72, of Virginia Beach passed away Monday, May 23, 2016 at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He was born June 10, 1943, in Buffalo, NY, to the late Frank Foye and Agnes Brennan Foye and raised in Girard, PA. The youngest of four siblings, he was predeceased by his oldest sister, Lynette Foye. He was a 1961 graduate of Rice Avenue Union High School; shy by his own admission, he was a stagehand for school plays and one of the few who could seamlessly work a projector. He was never athletically inclined, though enjoyed playing ping pong. A love of airplanes, perhaps cultivated by his tendency to sneak away and catch rides in biplanes, may have influenced his decision to enlist in the US Air Force in 1962 as a navigation systems repairman. He was elated to learn he would be cross-trained to move from ground radio to navigational aids, where he would work on aircraft. His duties included maintenance and repair of Doppler radar and inertial navigation systems, installing and maintaining radio equipment, and calibrating test sets. He worked on F-4 Phantom II fighter-bombers, particularly the F-4D, until 1976; later he worked on B-52s and KC-135s. Basic training was at Keesler Air Force Base, and over the years vividly recalled the harsh winter there; duty stations included Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Clark Air Base, Holloman AFB, Torrejon AFB, Seymour Johnson AFB, and RAF Mildenhall. Roger and his growing family moved 13 times over a career of 20 years and 21 days. Among his decorations are two Commendation Medals, a Good Conduct Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster, a Vietnam Service Medal with one silver and one bronze star, and a Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. In 1982, he obtained an AAS in data processing from Chicago City-Wide College. Retiring a master sergeant in 1983, Roger settled in Virginia Beach and started work at Wang Laboratories. He worked there nearly 20 years, servicing computers, word processors, servers, and cash registers. After, he kept busy with jobs at several calibration companies, finally retiring in 2008. Roger's lifelong hobby was electronics, especially stereo equipment, and he ran a shop out of his garage, servicing tube amplifiers, tape decks, and turntables; customers were few, but he enjoyed bringing old equipment back to life. He recalled fondly the day he gave his oldest son a Heathkit computer. As many can attest, he was inquisitive even from a young age, with an intense interest in knowing how things worked. A diehard Steelers fan, he also rooted for any team playing against the Redskins. He enjoyed motorsports the most, and aside from a motocross stint in Spain he was an avid fan of Formula 1; he would watch "roundy round" races, but lamented the liberal use of caution flags. He loved to drive; one of the last cars he regularly drove was his third son's Miata, which he called a Lotus Elan that ran. He owned a Lotus in the UK and was fond of taking corners as if on rails. Roger sorely missed the Miata, the feel of the front wheels through the steering wheel, and the back wheels through his seat. He was a talented photographer, though it was a skill he denied having; however, he proclaimed to be a jackleg carpenter and would dive into home improvement projects without hesitation. Quiet pastimes drew his interest, such as watching birds in the yard, or assembling model cars, airplanes, and sailing ships. In later years he watched reruns of 1950s and 60s sitcoms, but always loved the comedy of Benny Hill and also The Three Stooges. He had a wonderful sense of humor and could regale anyone with a story, amazing listeners with his ability to recall the smallest details. Throughout his life, he shunned popular music and prefered anything soothing and instrumental. A proud alumnus of RAUHS, he attended reunions and found comfort amongst old friends. He spoke fondly of Girard, particularly of landmarks such as the Gudgeonville Bridge. He was, deep down, very gentle; he often worried if the birds had enough warmth during winter, creating and putting up several birdhouses to alleviate his concern. Roger deeply mourned the loss of his dog, Cookie, in 2007, and greatly enjoyed the loyal companionship of Princess, the dog he left behind. He was most proud of becoming a grandfather. Left to honor him and cherish his memory include his loving wife of 50 years, Felisa Foye of Virginia Beach, VA; four sons, Theodore Foye, Roger Foye, Jr., Richard Foye, and Timothy Foye, all of Virginia Beach, VA; daughter-in-law Jennifer Foye; granddaughters Kayleigh Foye and Shelby Moore; grandson Tyrion Foye; sister Rebecca Foye of Erie, PA; brother Richard Foye of Vancouver, BC; many classmates who became lifelong friends, such as Richard Keffer, Gary Kibler, Tom Morley, Richard Payne, and Tom Showler; friends such as Gary and Martha Lofton; and many more classmates, friends, and cousins. Roger held a special place in his heart for his late grandmother, Nana Foye; one of his last thoughts was of her. A memorial service will be held Friday, June 3, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery , 5310 Milners Road, Suffolk, VA 23434. Friends are invited to share memories and sign the online guestbook at www.csofhr.com.

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Condolences

  • 04/08/2021

    Richard Keffer

    Felisa and family, Still having a hard time wrapping my arms around the loss of my life-long friend. My sincere sympathy. (Bucky)

  • 04/08/2021

    Richard Felter

    Lisa and family - My thoughts are with you and your family during these times of sorrow. I will miss my emails and phone conversations with one of my closest friend in high school.

  • 04/08/2021

    Martha and Gary Lofton

    we are very much sadden on the death of our goo friend,Roger. we had some good times together and eating out. I can still hear him laughing .and enjoyed our ping pong matches we had.please know he is in a better place now. the family are in our prayers. Martha and Gary Lofton

  • 04/08/2021

    Madge Surovick Chesko

    Roger will be in my cherished memories of the class of 61 and Girard. I enjoyed the time spent at our reunions. He was a kind, wonderful decent man. A great transplant from the hometown. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Madge

  • 04/08/2021

    Wilma Evans

    You were a really nice classmate. Wished I had kept in touch with you.

  • 04/08/2021

    Rae Huntington

    Thank you for sending an email to Roger’s friends and high school classmates. Tim, you conveyed exactly what you wanted to with your unique and interesting obituary, the memories of your father’s life with his quiet ways and loyal love for his country, family, and friends. Sending sympathy to all of you.

  • 04/08/2021

    David & Carol Wurst

    We have many fond memories of Roger. When he came to Girard, he would visit us. we always looked forward to those visits. We will miss Roger and his smile. Our love, thoughts and prayers are with Lisa, Ted, Roger Jr, Rick, Tim and the family. We love you all!

  • 04/08/2021

    James Kelly

    I met Roger summer of 1954. Dad rented the house on 31 Penn Ave that Roger's family had just moved out of. Splashed around in Elk Creek and in & Lake Erie. Now & again we might have done a couple of things things that irritated adults. I recall learning how to replace broken window panes.For the last two decades we had been "email pals". I shall deeply miss Roger.

  • 04/08/2021

    Rick Foye

    I spent 16 years sharing a bedroom with Roger. We got along OK but weren’t really close — we seemed to view the world from slightly different angles and to have different aspirations. After high school we went our separate ways, and for the next 45 years we rarely saw each other or even corresponded. Over the past 10 years we became good friends via email. I’ve learned that our world views aren’t really that much different. Roger had, as I have, a passion for understanding how things work — my approach is theoretical and his was hands-on, practical. He was dedicated to doing his work accurately and precisely, whether adjusting a critical airplane navigation device, calibrating a commercial measuring instrument, or building a model plane or ship. He had little tolerance for mediocrity in his work. I will miss him very much.

  • 04/08/2021

    JW

    To all of Roger's family and friends I offer my sincere condolences. May your precious memories of him and your reliance on the God of all comfort (Psalm 83:18) strengthen you during this difficult time.

  • 04/08/2021

    Gary Kibler

    Roger was quiet and deep... and scary smart. He held political views that often irritated me, but he nonetheless never ceased to amaze me with his ability to recall details of our past. How could you not love a guy who after 50 years could recall the nicknames of our high school teachers? Peter Gall - "Fubar"; Elizabeth Duff - "Babe". Or, more amazing, remind you that "Fleet Wing" was the brand of gasoline sold at the pump in front of Frank Hayes Hardware store on Main Street, Girard. I'll miss swapping stories with Roger.

  • 04/08/2021

    Terry Bryan

    The Foye Family, I worked at Wang Laboratories 1979 - 1989 and remember Roger as being one of the best computer technicians we had. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

  • 04/08/2021

    Lydia Pilarski

    I met Roger on two separate occasions--once in Girard during the 1980's and another time in 2002 in Louisiana. I got to know him, really, only later, through his emails to Rick. Rick would read passages out loud or forward the emails to me. Roger's writing was wonderful: fluent and expressive. Laugh-out-loud funny. I thought Roger was a really good writer, and Rick agreed. Rick misses his brother, and the emails which will come no more. We'll both miss them.

  • 04/08/2021

    Janey Willis

    Roger was my daughter's father-in-law. From time to time, we shared stories. He showed me some of the model ships he had made, and one which wasn't finished. He was unable to finish it because it just took too minute a detail and his hands had started to shake. I could tell that was frustrating for him. Since he was an expert in model building, painting, and so on, I asked his advise one Christmas on what type of paint to use on some Christmas ornaments I was making. They turned out well as a result. The thing I remember most about Roger was his love for his grandchildren and their love for him. I'm so glad they lived nearby so he could see them often. He will be missed.

  • 04/08/2021

    Kathryn (Kathy) Wiltse

    Roger was my uncle, my mother's youngest brother. Most of my memories of him are from when I was little. I remember his kindness toward me & how he looked out for me. One time he brought me a Japanese garment of some sort (not exactly sure where it was from) but he gave it to me when I was little after he had traveled in the service & I still have it. After reading his obituary I find that I share a couple things with him. My love of photography (from his Dad & my Grandpa) & his fond memories of Nana Brennan who I also adored! Until we meet again someday in Heaven, Uncle Roger, may you rest in peace.

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