Dr. Roger Albach's Obituary
Roger Albach (1932 - 2026)
Dr. Roger Albach, PhD, passed away peacefully with Sidney, his wife of 69 years, by his side. Roger was born in 1932 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Fritz and Marie, moved them to Los Angeles to be closer to his older brother and sisters. During his teen years he learned to surf and enjoyed hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Roger was scientifically-minded and curious— one of his favorite childhood gifts was a hand-held telescope. After graduating high school, he earned his Associate of Arts degree from Los Angeles Pierce College where he was also the student body president. He then attended Fresno State University for his Bachelor of Science degree. He met and married his wife, Sidney, while working at the San Joaquin Experimental Range plowing fire breaks, controlled burns and identifying local flora. After Fresno, he and his wife had two sons, Robert and Charles. He continued his studies at the University of California Davis where he earned his Master’s degree in Chemistry, followed by his PhD in Chemistry studying grape compounds.
Upon graduation, Roger, Sid, and their two boys moved to Weslaco, Texas, where their daughter, Sarah, joined the family years later. Roger worked as a research chemist at the USDA’s Subtropical Agricultural Research Laboratory in Weslaco for 30 years.
Roger was a passionate outdoorsman. As a young man, Roger climbed Mount Shasta, and then spent much of his time exploring the caves of Mexico’s Sierra Oriental. His last caving expedition was to Laguna de Sánchez, Nuevo León, Mexico in 1999 at the age of 67. However, he continued to test himself into his eighties, climbing trees in his yard and onto his roof to complete tasks he saw no reason he should not do himself. EMS can attest to this.
Roger was deeply committed to community service in Weslaco. A dedicated Rotarian, Roger was particularly enthusiastic for his work awarding scholarships to graduating seniors on behalf of the Rotary Club. Throughout the years, Roger served the community in numerous leadership and volunteer roles. He was chairman of the Civil Service Commission, a member of the WISD Facilities Advisory Committee, a member of the Knapp School of Nursing Advisory Board, and served on the Hidalgo County Grand Jury, to name a few. He was especially proud to lead the development of the present Museum of Weslaco, coordinating sub-contractors and input into the overall design. In recognition of his many civic works, Weslaco Chamber of Commerce named Roger “Man of the Year” in 2007.
A long-standing member of Grace Episcopal Church, he was committed to his faith and was a licensed Lay Eucharist Minister, served on the vestry many times, and several times as the Senior Warden. He went out of his way to welcome all visitors, get their contact information, and invite them to join church events.
He is survived by his wife, Sidney; his three children, Robert & wife Cindy, Charles, Sarah & husband Dale; and his five grandchildren, Alexandra, Rebekah, Gus, Katrina, Cody and an extended loving family throughout California.
A memorial service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church Weslaco,TX on June 27th, at 3:30 PM.
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