Obituary of Roger Earl Sipher

Longtime Cortland resident Roger Earl Sipher, 81, died Saturday, Jan. 14 after a long illness. He was a resident of Evergreen Commons nursing facility since May, 2011. Roger was born Aug. 10, 1930, in Governeur, NY and earned degrees from Potsdam State College, the University of Rochester and Syracuse University. A professor for more than 40 years at Cortland State College, he was a Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, History, and won the Chancellors Award for Excellence in Teaching. Survivors include his son John Sipher, grandsons Will, J.C. and Marc Sipher, daughter Kate Sipher, ex-wife Ann Sipher and brother Erton Sipher. Roger was preceded in death by his brother Elon Sipher. Funeral Services will be held Wednsday at 12:00 pm at the Wright-Beard Funeal Home 9 Lincoln Ave. Cortland. friends are invited to call from 11:00 am- 11:45 am prior to the service. Interment will be in Cortland Rural Cemetery. to offer on line condolences visit www.wright-beard.com John, Kate and Ann - Very soory for your loss. You were great neighbors and high school friends. John, Maureen, Michael, Patrick and Kelly Stack -13 Broadway, Cortland John and Family: Dick and I were so sorry to hear of Roger's death and unable to attend the memorial service as we do not travel Route 81 in the winter any more. We had hoped to be able to express our deepest sympathy and to recall growing up on Barney Street in Gouverneur and all the happy times spent with your dad. John, we knew you had left Reston and did not know how to contact you personally. Again, our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Your dad was a wonderful man and a great friend. Fondly, Dick and Judy Cole I am saddened to hear of the passing of Roger. Roger was a great friend to me and my late husband, Warren Waxenfeld. Roger was such a sweet man and I loved all of the dinners, lunches, visits, parties, etc with him. He had an amazing sense of humor and coupled with Warren would make me laugh for hours. Roger spoke at Warren's funeral and again had us all laughing. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. He will be greatly missed. Debbi Waxenfeld To Ann, John,Kate and others in the family, I send my sympathy and share your loss and the fondest memories of Roger. He and I were high school classmates, played basketball and football together , and attended CCBI and played basketball there. My memories are mostly from our youth, but he was a dear friend, wise and possessed an unforgettable sense of humor. It was a special pleasure to visit with Roger at our high school reunions. We both had long teaching careers; I know he was an exceptional teacher. He was a sweet, kind and gentle man. I am thankful he was part of my life. Ticky Gardner To the Family of Roger Sipher..... I send deepest sympathy to you during this most difficult time. He was a dear friend and highschool teammate. We spoke at some length last year and shared fond memories of our youth. A nicer man would be hard to find! With Sympathy, Jack Christensen Dear Ann, John and Kate...So sorry to hear of Roger's passing...We were out of the country for most of January so could not attend the funeral...Roger and I were friends and colleagues for well over 40 years, and I will miss him. Linda Biemer, Binghamton, NY