Richard 'Rick' Jerome Roehm

Richard “Rick” Jerome Roehm Jr. 77, of New Washington, IN passed away on Monday, March 21, 2022, with family at his side at Maple Manor Christian Care in Sellersburg, IN. He was born on December 27, 1944, in New London, Connecticut to Richard Sr. and Kathryn Spaulding Roehm.

Rick graduated from Clarksville High School in 1962 and went to Indiana State University for two years. He decided college wasn't for him and joined the Navy during the Vietnam Err as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Technician. He was stationed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River defending the east coast from Russian Submarines during the Cold War. His favorite station was in Iceland where they watched for Russian subs to return home before the water froze. He was awarded the National Defense Service award for his service. After the military he was hired at AT&T as a technician where he worked for 34 years with 24 years spent in Louisville and the last 10 years in Conyers, Ga. He then retired back home to Bethlehem, IN where he was a member at Bethlehem Community Church before becoming ill. 

Rick was passionate about sports; any sport. His love for sports started at a young age when his father Richard "Shorty" coached him and his friends in Clarksville Little League. His glory days continued to high school when he and lifelong friends Sam Gardener, Jim Bemis, Frank Cash, Win Walker, Greg Heid, Doug Hallman, Paul Conner, Jackie Baker, Rick Duffy, Steve Hartley, and Mike Tucker, started the Sportsman Club. Most of the boys started playing sports together in first grade and remained friends until the end. Sam Gardner continued to make visits to see him on a regular basis until his final days, Rick always knowing who Sam was. In high school, Rick tried out for the Cleveland Indians. When asked to stay for a second day he told them he had to get back to school. After high school, he remained active by playing in softball leagues in Louisville and with his colleagues at AT&T. He also took up Archery with Fraze Archery, owned by his good friend Larry Fraze. In 1973, he won the Indiana State Archery tournament. 

As those close to him know, Rick was always passionate about Indiana University Basketball and Coach Bobby Knight. Even with dementia and in a nursing home he refused to wear a blue shirt because it represented their rival Kentucky. In his later years he took up golf and was a member of the Honey Creek Country Club in Conyers, Ga. He loved target and skeet shooting and collected a variety of handguns, shotguns, and rifles throughout his life. Outside of sports, he always enjoyed reading a good crime or suspense novel, especially those where the big bad got his “comeuppance”. Rick also loved anything with a motor. His prized possessions were his 1996 Corvette and his 2001 Victory motorcycle. Both were loud and fast just like he liked them. 

Rick was passionate about music. He was known to buy every type of stereo equipment invented and when it came to speakers his mantra was “the bigger the better” despite modern technology. Music was always coming out of the many speakers and stereo equipment, sometimes being recorded from one format to another type with microphones being hung in just the right spots to get the best sound. He always had the one seat in the room that was “The Perfect Spot” to get the full experience of whatever music or movie was being played. He would spend hours listening to music enjoying; every note and tweaking the stereo to make it perfect. His favorite artists were Eric Clapton and the Doobie Brothers, and he would listen to them over and over. He knew all their songs down to the last lyrics. 

He loved his children Kelly and Brent deeply and spent endless hours either coaching their sporting events or being that loud parent. He was also incredibly supportive off the field sitting at beauty pageants or anything else they were interested in. Once his children were grown, he would consistently make the drive out west to see Brent and to Florida or Massachusetts to see Kelly. As if becoming a Grandpa was grand enough he took on the role of a father figure to his oldest two grandchildren Cierra and Anthony. Cierra’s favorite childhood memories are of him waking her up in the night to watch the shooting stars from his lap and sitting through her fashion shows after a day of shopping with her Grandma. He taught her how to slow dance, how to play cribbage, and how to shoot any gun. Anthony’s fondest memories include being taught how to shoot a bow and arrow and drive a car. He also feels he wouldn’t be the man he is today without his Grandpa’s guidance. He was equally excited when Brent became a father to Ashton and Tyler. Rick was later a Grandpa again from Kelly to 3 more grandchildren whom he loved and enjoyed Alven, Laura, and Melinda.

Rick is survived by his loving wife, Patricia Aldred Roehm; his devoted daughter Kelly Nicole Roehm of Charlestown, IN; his son Brent Nicholas Roehm (Amber) of Chula Vista, CA; his grandchildren, Cierra Harper, Anthony Harper, Alven Dit, Laura Gendron, Melinda Hawkins, Ashton Roehm, and Tyler Roehm.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Mike Roehm.

Cremation was chosen with burial to follow in the Indiana Veteran Memorial Cemetery in Madison, IN. Services will be held on Tuesday, March 29th at 3:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers,  the family respectfully asks expressions of love to take the form of donating to Southern Indiana Animal Rescue.