Roger Wicker

Roger was born “down below Prescott” on October20, 1935. When he was about 2 years old, they moved to Lake Village where his dad grew cotton. In 1942 after the war broke out, they moved to Dallas, Texas where his dad worked in the airplane factory building airplanes supporting the war effort.

They lived in Oak Cliff where Roger graduated from Sunset High School in 1954. After graduating high school, he went to Arlington College and studied Electrical/Mechanical Engineering.

In 1956, he joined the Navy. In 1957, he went to flight training in Pensacola and got his wings in 1958 in Corpus Christi. He flew various aircraft for the Navy including the P5M Seaplane and the Gruman 8A-16 search and rescue aircraft.

In 1964-1965 he was based in San Diego and Kwajileen in the Pacific. In 1966, he was hired by Pan American World Airways as a navigator flying the Boeing 707. He navigated by the stars long before satellites and computers. Pan Am flew all over the world. He flew for Pan Am for 20 years after which he was hired by United Airlines flying the Pacific routes on the Boeing 747. He became Captain on the DC8, 757 and 767 and retired in 1995 after a wonderful career.

After retirement, he came back to the farm in Arkansas with his wife to raise cattle. In 2010 they began spending more time in Dallas where they owned a home.

He is survived by his wife of almost 50 years Catharina, his three children, David, Lori, and Danny, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

“Fair winds and following seas and fly high as an eagle”

Service will be at 2 pm Sunday in the chapel of Brazzel Funeral Home, Hope. Burial with military honors will follow at Marlbrook Cemetery in Blevins, AR.