Roger A. Tutterrow

Roger Tutterrow, 77, of Indianapolis, passed away peacefully Monday, November 11th (Veterans Day) at his home surrounded by family after a 3 1/2 year battle with ALS.

Roger was born November 10th, 1942, in Indianapolis to the late Floyd and Emojene (Purpura) Tutterrow.

After graduating from Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Roger was employed by Ford Motor Company from June 1961 until his retirement in March of 2007.  He had a 2 year “break” from Ford (1966-1968) when he was drafted by the US Army.  He proudly served, doing a tour of duty in Vietnam before returning to his position at Ford.   It was at Ford that that he met his loving wife and soulmate Rose.

Preceding him in passing were his parents, sons Jamin and Jordan, twin sister Sharon and brother Larry.

He is survived by his wife Rose, children Nicole Feely, Christopher Beamer and Sarah Beamer; grandchildren Morgan Underwood,  Haley Eldridge, Mercedes Beamer, Claire Beamer, Tori Castro and Madison Castro; great-granddaughter, Laikyn Summers, daughter-in-law Suna Wilson and “Cuz” Debbie Ewing.  He also leaves behind beloved cousins, many loving in-laws, other family members, many dear friends and 4 fur babies who are family.

Roger had another family, the Hoosier ALS Warriors family comprised of other Veterans living with ALS.  It was with their support and of the entire Roudebush VA ALS Clinical team that made Roger’s journey more bearable.  He enjoyed planning the themed days for clinic with dear friends.  Another family that provided great support was his hospice team from Kindred, Niki Staggs and Jassah K. Kabbah.  Roger and his family are very grateful for the VA and Kindred families.

Roger also had great love for his UAW 1111 brothers and golfing buddies, he also considered them family. Golf was his passion. He enjoyed running the golf league for Union employees while at Ford.   He was so proud of his 3 hole in ones and cherished his golf trips with the guys.   He also loved his little red truck that took him to the golf course.  It was nicknamed “cheaterrow” by his golf buddies.  After retirement he golfed as much as he could until ALS took that away from him.

Besides golf, Roger enjoyed reading mysteries, traveling, walking the beach, bowling, weekend getaways and watching old westerns and the Colts on TV.  He also loved watching the Price is Right.  He was like a child at a candy store when he was able to attend tapings of TPIR in California several times.  Although he didn’t get called to “come on down” any of those times, he was thrilled that Drew Carey talked to him during commercial break.

Roger grew to love cooking, with breakfast being his specialty. He loved calling himself Chef BoyarRoger. He also loved pontooning on Lake Monroe, calling himself Cpt. Roger while at the wheel.  He has also called himself “Santa” when he would happily dress as Santa for the grandchildren and once for the VA ALS Support group.

Roger never knew a stranger. All those who knew him would agree he was one of a kind and what you see is what you get.  He saw the good in everyone and would give the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. Roger was a humble man and his sense of humor, generosity, consideration for others, honesty, fun loving and laid back ways were undeniable.  Throughout his illness he never complained, because of his family, friends and faith he felt he was “living the dream” and that he had truly lived a full and fulfilling life.

To sum it up, he worked hard and  played hard but most of all, he loved hard.  A visitation for Roger will be Wednesday, November 20th, from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm. His service will begin at 6:00 pm with Military Honors to conclude the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution in Roger’s honor to his charity of choice, Smile-Inside.Org.  Donations can be mailed to:

Smile-Inside

3389 NW Glenridge Dr,

Corvallis, OR 97330

Online donations may be made at  www.smile-inside.org.  This is an ALS foundation very dear to Roger’s heart that was established by a fellow ALS Warrior to assist other families living with ALS.