passed away on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Loving husband of the late Judith A. Omre (nee Shepp); beloved father of David Omre and Kristina “Nicki” (the late Rob Whitrock) Lutz-Whitrock; dearest grandpa of Tyler (Olivia Cohen) Lutz; dear brother-in-law of the late James (Celeste) Shepp; dog owner of Abby, Ruger and Remi; our dear friend of many.
On June 24th, 2025, we lost a great man, my father, Roger L. Omre. He was 88 years old. He enjoyed a long, fruitful life and retirement, remaining completely independent until the end. Born in 1937, he was a member of the Silent Generation, known for prudence and caution. His life experience spans the Great Depression, World War II, the Internet Age and countless world-changing events in-between. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from RPI in 1958 and quickly landed a prestigious job at the newly-created NASA. Little did he know at the time of the historical importance of his work. If you’ve ever seen videos showing the Mission Control room from the Apollo missions of geeky engineers wearing white shirts and dark-rimmed glasses? My dad was one of them, discreetly and humbly making history, changing the world. Today, space travel is a billionaire vanity project, but in my dad’s day, NASA was an elite and exclusive club of the smartest people in the world – true pioneers who did the REAL work that charted a path for future space travel. My dad was a badass, yet absolutely humble; if left to him, no one would ever know it.
After NASA, he continued working in Aerospace for the McDonnell Douglas Phantom Works on top-secret projects for the US military. The nature of his work limited what he could tell us, but no doubt it was cutting-edge technology that we take for granted today. As a kid, I used to jokingly ask him to tell me something about his work – something secret. He would just tell me to read Aerospace magazines. He said they were brimming with classified info, but of course he couldn’t say which articles contained classified info and which ones didn’t. His point was that classified programs, despite the government’s best efforts, leak like a sieve. He was always amazed at what found its way in the newspapers!
Early in his retirement, he was a prolific traveler. As a child of the Great Depression, he loved a good bargain. He redeemed frequent flyer miles and took us on family trips to South America, the Caribbean and several trips to the national parks. When Nicki and I were older, he traveled extensively with our mom, hitting Europe several times, South America, Asia, and Africa. I attribute my own lifelong love of travel and exploration to him.
His mother, my grandmother, took me on my first trip to Europe in the early 1980s. The trip included a bus tour of northern Europe, including stops in Leningrad (now St Petersburg), Russia, Moscow and Soviet-Occupied Warsaw, Poland. As a fearless teenager, I thought nothing of it, except that I was having the time of my life. However, my grandmother, failed to notify my father, who was working at Phantom Works at the time. When I sent my dad a postcard from Moscow, it was immediately red-flagged and he was questioned about his correspondence in Russia. They asked who he was talking to. My dad, cagey and coy as always, responded. “No one important – just my mother and my son.” I wasn’t privy to the conversation that followed after we got back, but I don’t think he was happy about it. Nevertheless, I had a great time and have had the travel bug ever since!
My dad worked very hard to provide an idyllic childhood for me and my sister. Our childhood was a full-time regime of sledding, water sports, weekend trips, birthday parties, easter egg hunts, concerts, parades, trick or treating, swimming competitions, baseball games and illegal motorcycle races through our neighborhood. We grew up with great, lifelong friends – the Maloney family, Kuefflers and Weinkaufs.
He retired relatively young in his mid-50s, but he enjoyed every second of it. He spent all but the last two years with his wife, Judith, who passed away in late 2022. He lived near both of his kids and saw one of us nearly every day. In short, he spent a long and enviable retirement that many senior citizens would trade for in a heartbeat. He was at home pampered every day by his loving grand dogs, saw his kids every day, had a driver’s license and enjoyed home-cooked meals. Not one day in a nursing home or assisted living. My sister and I were conscious to stave off loneliness and complacency, keeping him active and engaged, and I think it helped, especially in the years after our mom died.
My dad was the kindest, most selfless, honest person I will ever know. He was a true patriot – proven by deeds and action, not words. He will be dearly missed.
Graveside Service Wednesday, July 9, 3:00 pm at St. Paul Churchyard, 7600 South Rock Hill Rd. (63123). A Kutis Affton Chapel Service.