Roger Ellis Waterman

Roger Waterman of Los Alamos, New Mexico, passed away on March 5, 2022, from a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer.

Roger was born in Wichita, Kansas on February 12, 1947 to Alice Brigham Waterman and Robert “Bob” Waterman. He was the middle son, tall and red-headed and wore glasses early. The young family moved to Los Alamos in 1947 where Bob worked as a guard at East Gate and his sons had the run of a safe post-war community. Among his early jobs, Roger sold snow cones and drove a moving van around the western United States. Early travels with his parents likely planted the travel seed that grew and blossomed through Roger’s entire life.

Roger graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1965. He lettered in three sports and was active in student body politics. He continued on to Dartmouth College, playing two years of “Big Green” football and making several lifelong friends. In 1967, he worked construction in Europe over a summer, touring around the continent on a little Vespa scooter… this was the start of something big. He usually had a motorcycle of some type over his life. This was much to the delight of his sons and the unease of his daughters.

After graduating from Dartmouth in 1969, Roger served in the Army National Guard as a medic, worked in Northern New York and later, in Albuquerque. In 1973, he returned to Los Alamos, where he remained for the next fifty years working in small business, real estate development, philanthropy and local politics.

Roger was devoted to his family, a wonderful father, husband, son and brother and a loyal friend. He was also committed to the growth and betterment of the community where he grew up and where he and his family had lived since the 1940s. Roger served for six years on the Los Alamos County Council and lent his time, resources, leadership and grace to numerous commissions and non-profit boards. In a volunteer capacity, he led major expansion projects in conjunction with the Los Alamos Family YMCA, served on the Los Alamos Medical Center Board, Leadership New Mexico and Leadership Los Alamos and with the Los Alamos Historical Society, among others.

After a long courtship, Roger married the love of his life, Emily McGay, in 2001. That two people with such a commonality of purpose, love of family, service to others and the community should have chanced upon each other is truly divine providence.

And… oh boy, did Roger and Emily know how to have fun. In addition to community service, they shared a love of people, culture, adventure and travel, often exotic and frequently on two-wheels. Roger was a member of the Century Club, having travelled during his 75 years to over 100 countries and every US state but North Dakota.

Roger had many close friends he loved, who loved him. His humility meant that he could never truly understand how much he meant to others or what a positive impact he had on those whose lives he touched. Roger always felt he had been too fortunate on every count. Those who knew him, know better. To be his friend was a gift, to be his child, a blessing.

Roger will be mourned by all who knew his sense of humor, kind spirit, generosity and goodness. He’s adored and missed by his children, Maralie Waterman of Albuquerque, Carrie and Jason Ferguson of Oklahoma City, OK, Mike and Marti Osborn of Sahuarita, AZ and Rick and Kim Osborn of Boerne, TX. He was much-loved brother and devoted uncle to Kent and Linda Waterman of Colorado Springs, CO, Ted and Leeann Waterman of Albuquerque and Dottie McGay of Staunton, Virginia and their families. He was the best and most devoted of “Pop-Pop’s” to Brande, Donald, Gabrielle and Emilia, Kasey and Ashley, Mikey and Mitch, Mele and Giuliana. His brother from a different mother, Mike Benziger of Montrose, Colorado was his best friend from age five. Murphy was his loving canine companion to the end.

He is predeceased by his soulmate of thirty years, Emily McGay and his parents, Alice and Robert Waterman.

A celebration of Roger’s life will be held at the United Church of Los Alamos on April 2, 2022 at 11am.

In lieu of flowers, we request donations be made to the J. Robert Oppenheimer House Fund of the Los Alamos Historical Society: https://losalamoshistory.networkforgood.com/projects/107843-oppenheimer-house-preservation