Roger Swajger

Roger A. Swajger, 83 of Wayne, died peacefully on Thursday, February 13, 2020.  Roger has lived in Wayne since 1962.

Roger was raised in Secaucus where he found work on a farm at just twelve years old.  He recognized at an early age that hard work and perseverance were necessary for success, and he was never afraid to work hard.  He saved enough money to buy his own car while still in high school, and he bought many of his own clothes (which was profoundly evident to any stylist…).

After graduating high school in Jersey City, Roger began working for Western Electric as a Tool and Die Maker’s apprentice.  He excelled there and began taking classes at Stevens Institute of Technology for Tool Design and then earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson.  It took him ten years to earn his degree while working full time, raising his family and paying a mortgage, but he was certainly persistent.  He became Plant Manager and ultimately General Manager for Industrial Retaining Ring Company in Irvington, NJ and retired in 1998 after a lengthy career.  But Roger never sat still and during his retirement, he served as Superintendent at the Preakness Reformed Church Cemetery in Wayne.  He also maintained a tool shop at home and loved to tinker.  He could fix just about anything and took great pride in his landscaping.  He trusted no one to care for his yard, so he took care of it all himself – and he was certainly good at it.  His home was a source of great pride for Roger; he designed it himself, and was his own General Contractor during construction.  He even did the bulk of the electrical work, passing all the inspections!  During the winter months, when he couldn’t be landscaping, he took to puttering with his model railroad, which was among his favorite hobbies.

Roger met his wife Alice when they were in Dickinson High School in Jersey City.  He sat in front of her in 12th grade History class and they were “high school sweethearts.”  Roger was among the few students who owned his own car and although his Plymouth Convertible wasn’t beautiful, it was fun.  Romance ensued and they were married on May 10, 1958 at the First Reformed Church in Jersey City.  They flew to Bermuda for a honeymoon, staying at Elbow Beach, and then enjoyed a cruise back home to New York City.  They had a great time in Bermuda, where Alice got sun poisoning, and crashed her moped, sending her over the handlebars and sliding on the pavement.  Despite such a rocky start, they celebrated sixty one years together in a marriage that was a true partnership marked by love, and lots of fun.  Over the years, they went on countless cruises to places like Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, the Baltic Sea, and the Caribbean.  For their fiftieth anniversary, they took twenty members of their family on a celebratory cruise to Bermuda.  That trip was among the most memorable, but not for the reasons you might think.  A passenger unfortunately fell overboard, the ship encountered forty-foot seas caused by an approaching hurricane, and just about everyone got horribly seasick.  Other than that, a great time was had by all.  Roger adored his family and his children recall trips to Virginia Beach to visit his brother “Freddie” and Jean where great memories were made.   The kids also recall helping their dad with his numerous projects around the house which taught them all many handyman skills that they all appreciate today.  They will all miss him dearly.

Roger is survived by his dear wife Alice of Wayne, four children; Mark and his wife Sharon of Oak Ridge, NJ, Keith and his wife Judy of West Milford, Glenn and his wife Jennifer of Ticonderoga, NY, and Nancy Redinger and her husband John of Ramsey, ten grandchildren; Amanda, Leanne, Kate, Julia, Erin, Ben, Matt, Alex, Jack, and Colin, and one great-grandson; Gabriel.   He was predeceased by his brother, Fred Swajger Jr., who he missed dearly.

In lieu of flowers, Donations in Roger’s memory would be appreciated to the Preakness Reformed Church Cemetery Fund, 131 Church Lane, Wayne, NJ 07470.