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The Rev. Richard S. “Dick” Roper, 88, died from a stroke Oct. 30, 2010, in Lebanon, N.H. He had been ill for a number of years. A memorial service was held Nov. 13, at the United Methodist Church in Lebanon.

After graduation from high school, Roper enlisted in the Marine Corps and served from 1941-1945, primarily in the Southwest Pacific region.

While based at Quantico, Va., at the end of his military service, he met Margaret Hester “Peggy” Wells and they married in Washington, D.C., in 1945. They had two children who survive.

Roper returned to Baker University in Baker, Kansas, to finish his degree, then enrolled in Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo. During college and seminary he served as pastor of rural churches. He was ordained an Elder in 1953.

For several years he was Director of Wesley Foundation at then South Dakota State College. He moved to Boston as a doctoral student at Boston University and taught in the graduate school of education and at the University of Massachusetts. Back to South Dakota where he taught philosophy and was chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. His wide-ranging academic career also included being Dean of Ricker College in Houlton, Maine, and President of Colorado Alpine College in Steamboat Springs.

In 1970, Roper returned to parish ministry in the Baltimore Conference and was appointed to Solomons UMC. Then in a string of short-term, two-year appointments, as was common in those days, he not only served several different churches, but they were geographically widely scattered: In 1974, he served Grace UMC in Aberdeen, then in 1976, he moved to the United Church in Washington. Two years later, he was appointed to Mt. Zion-Mt. Calvary in Mechanicsville. In 1981, he moved to La Vale UMC, and in 1983, to Eastport UMC in Annapolis, where he remained until 1988 when he retired after nearly 40 years of ministerial service.

The Ropers settled on Eastport UMC as their charge church and they were active there until July 2010, when they moved to Lebanon, N.H., to be near a daughter.

Retirement was in name only. For several years he served part-time at Edgewater UMC. He was interested in genealogy and wrote a book on the history of the Roper family. He also wrote a book about his older brother who died while a prisoner of war in Japan during WWII. His writings included articles about the military chaplains who served among the prisoners, and the civilians who provided help to the prisoners.

Survivors include his wife of nearly 65 years, Peggy Roper; son Phil Roper of Agua Dulce, Calif., daughter Ruth Richardson of Tunbridge, Vt., and three grandchildren.

Condolences may be sent to Peggy Roper, 365 N. Main St., Apt. 252, West Lebanon, NH 03784.