My Friend Roger English Died Last Night

I saw Rog in action before I knew him. He was trying to bring order (via Robert’s Rules of Order) to an unruly meeting of a fledgling lobbying effort – GSA drapery contractors VS FPI - in Washington. As you would expect he stood his ground.

I didn’t meet him until several years later when I joined ADM and of course our first meeting was over a “greasy spoon” breakfast the first of many shared meals. To say that Rog was the best thing about those five years would be true understatement. Not only did I learn a great deal that I will always value while sharing an office with him but he “had my back” always.

Rog defined the label “legendary trencherman”. I can (and will some day) fill pages with stories: the night in Houston after eating everything on the menu at Copeland’s, we stopped for a bag of hot dogs (4 for a dollar), unable to decide between pulled pork and brisket at a Chicago BBQ joint, he orders both with fries and the Milwaukee Ave. Polish deli’s “all you can eat” lunch (which in tribute started charging by the pound after Rog retired)

That Rog loved Joan, his children, grandchildren and cared about everybody will be my greatest remembrance. Knowing Roger English has been one of the pleasures of my life and I was proud to say of my years at ADM that my job was “to drive Roger English to lunch”.