Roger E. Roche, 78, of Southport died January 20, 2014 at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston after a brief illness.

Roger was born on August 29, 1935 to Florence Garvey Roche and William John Roche at the Garvey family homestead in the Taconic section of Salisbury, Conn., in the same room in which his mother had been born 41 years earlier.

He attended The Grove School and Salisbury Central School and graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in 1953. After a stint on an oil-pipeline survey crew in the Louisiana swamps, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1954, the same year he married Ann Parsons Reel of Canaan, Conn. During the next four years, Roger was stationed in Hawaii; in Manassas, Va.; and in Cheyenne, Wyo., serving in communications and as a draftsman.

After completing his Air Force service, Roger followed his lifelong interest in art and design by enrolling at Rhode Island School of Design, from which he graduated in 1962 with a BFA degree in graphic design. After graduation, he was hired as a graphic designer at Chartpak in Leeds, Mass., and moved with his family to Northampton, Mass.

In 1963, Roger accepted the position of staff assistant in the publications office at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Subsequently he proposed the creation of the Design and Production Services office and became its first director with responsibility for producing the University’s marketing, promotional, and academic materials. In addition to his work at UMass, he did freelance design work for Smith College, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Elms College and United Way.

In 1985, Roger retired. He and Ann moved to Southport, where they had had a summer cottage for some years, to become year-round residents. Here, Roger found more time to pursue his artistic interests, creating many works in a wide variety of media, primarily paintings in watercolor, acrylic, and oil. He served as trustee and later as president of the Boothbay Region Art Foundation, and left his mark on the architectural heritage of Southport, where he designed and helped implement major renovations to the fire station, the town office building, and the Southport Memorial Library in Newagen.

In addition, he worked with many private homeowners to develop building designs, priding himself on creating concepts that were well-tailored to the existing and surrounding buildings, to the site, and to the needs and personalities of the homeowners.

Roger is survived by his wife and children, Jonathan C. Roche of Turners Falls, Mass.; Suzanne Roche of Florence, Mass.; and Amelia L. Roche of Westbrook; and by his grandson, Shane Thompson of Florence, Mass. He also leaves a niece, Shirley Jones Moyer of Salisbury, Conn., and two nephews, Allen Jones of Lakeville, Conn., and Forrest Bregny Roche of Tineo, Asturias, Spain.

Burial will take place in May at St. Joseph Cemetery in Canaan, Conn.

Should friends desire, contributions in Roger’s memory may be made to The Friends of the Southport Memorial Library, PO Box 338, Southport ME 04576.

Family and friends are invited to share condolences by visiting Roger’s Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home, 975 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay, Maine.