Frederick O. Roasch, 1931-2003, Warsaw

Frederick O. Roasch, 72, of Warsaw, died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003, at Bothwell Regional Health Center.

He was born July 31, 1931, in San Diego. On July 1, 1961, he was married to Barbara Ann Bare, who survives of the home.

Mr. Roasch moved with his family to North Platte, Neb., when he was young. He was a 1949 graduate of St. Patrick High School. He enlisted in the Navy on Oct. 23, 1950. He served aboard the USS Pine Island in the Pacific during the Korean War. He was discharged on Aug. 19, 1954, and returned to Nebraska. He then began working for Union Pacific Railroad. He moved to Charlotte, N.C., and later to Jacksonville, Fla., where he worked for the Seaboard Railroad. He moved to Panama in 1966 and worked for the Panama Canal Railroad. He later worked for the electrical division of the Panama Canal Co.

While in Panama, he became a coach for his sons Little League team. He became the commissioner for Little League. He helped with the administration of the league and improved the fields and facilities. In 1976, he began working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, starting at McNary Dam in Oregon. He lived in Hermiston, Ore., before moving to Warsaw. He began working at the Stockton project and later worked at Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir. He retired Jan. 1, 1993, as a mechanical supervisor at the dam. He was a fan of Warsaw High School football and listened to their games on the radio every Friday night they played.

Also surviving are two sons, Fritz Roasch, of Warsaw, and Corky Roasch, of Blackfoot, Idaho; a brother, George Roasch, of North Platte, Neb.; and a granddaughter.

He was predeceased by a son, John Dean Roasch in January 1981.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Reser Funeral Home in Warsaw, with the Rev. Elwin Yoder officiating. Burial will be in Shawnee Cemetery in Warsaw. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the Benton County Cancer Fund in care of the funeral home.