Roger Kellogg Coomes

Roger Kellogg Coomes left this world suddenly on July 11 at age 88.

Roger was born May 17, 1932 to Royston Gerald and Lucille Carpenter Coomes in Chicago, IL. Roger married Sally Payne August 1, 1959 in Chicago. They had three children: Brian Arthur born in Beloit, Wi; Barbara Lynn and Bradley Daniel born in Auburn, NY.

Roger graduated from Oak Park-River Forest High School in 1950.  Roger attended Iowa State College with a Chicago Newspaper Distributor’s Scholarship and a Naval ROTC appointment earning a B.S. in Animal Husbandry in 1954. He served in the U.S. Navy first as an Ensign, later as a LTJG 1954-56 aboard the Destroyer U.S.S. Alfred A. Cunningham (DD 752) which took him to Pearl Harbor, Midway Island, Honolulu, Yokosuka, Japan; Manila, Formosa (now Taiwan), Hong Kong, Subic Bay in the Philippines and Singapore. After his naval service he worked for Chicago Producers in the Union Stock Yards in the cattle department.  The early hours inspired him to work toward an M.S. in Biology at Northern Illinois University ’57-’59 where he met his wife Sally in a biology class. 

He taught Biology at Memorial High School in Beloit, WI ’59-’60, studied Physiology at the University of Illinois in Champaign ’60-61, and then taught Biology at Auburn (now Cayuga) Community College in Auburn, NY ’61-’65. A National Science Foundation program in Radiation Biology at Cornell University lured him to Ithaca, NY where he earned a PhD in 1968 with the aid of NSF and National Institute of Health grants. Roger then came to Mankato State to join the Biology Department, ’68-’96 where he taught Physiology and was director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.  A sabbatical leave in ’79 took him to the University of Iowa, and another in ’89-’90 took him to the University of Arizona where he was a visiting professor. Roger also taught several quarters at Minnesota State University-Akita, Japan ’93-’96. He served a term on the Belgrade Township Town Board and represented rural Mankato on the Community Services Council for four years. Roger also served two terms as Exalted Ruler and was a long-term treasurer for the Mankato Elks Lodge.

Roger enjoyed his family who will now greatly miss him. He also enjoyed spending summers on the family farm in Wiota, Iowa as a youth. He later became owner of this farm. He enjoyed raising sheep and cows, woodworking, swimming, biking, fishing and camping in the Boundary Waters. He visited all 50 states and also enjoyed cruising the Caribbean, the East Coast, Alaska, and the Mississippi River with Sally. He was a regular at the VINE Fitness Center.

Roger is survived by his wife, Sally of 60 years; sons, Brian (Lynne) of Miami, FL and Bradley (Mary) of Plymouth, MN; a daughter, Barbara Langley (Ed Jolly) of Englewood, CO; seven grandchildren: Alexandra of Gainesville, FL, Stephen of Miami, Margot, Anders and Sonja, MN, Paige & Chelsea Langley and a step-grandson, Jacob Jolly, CO; sister, Judith Wenzel; sister-in-law, Juanita Payne; nieces: Debra Cargo & Tracy Payne and nephews: Jay and Karl Wenzel & Daniel Payne Jr.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents; brothers-in-law, Keith Wenzel & Daniel Payne; and a nephew, Jason Payne.

A future memorial service for Roger will be held at First Presbyterian Church with burial at Kerns Cemetery when COVID-19 concerns abate.

Memorials may be given to MNSU Mankato Roger Coomes Biology Scholarship, Minnesota Elks Youth Camp Scholarships, or VINE.