Roger William Hagerty, 59 of Smiths Station, AL passed away Monday, November 8, 2010, at Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital in Phenix City, AL. Funeral services will be held 12:00 noon EST, 11 am CST, on Saturday at Vance Memorial Chapel in Phenix City with Dr. Ramble Ankumah of Tuskegee University officiating. A private interment will follow at Parkhill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home this evening (Friday) from 6 to 8 pm EST, 5 to 7 pm CST. Roger was born November 7, 1951, in Charleston, WV, the son of the late Robert W. Hagerty and Mary Catherine Hopkins Hagerty. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Bob E. Hagerty. Roger was employed for more than 30 years at Tuskegee University. He started out as a photographer and was Director of Media Services at the time of his death. He dearly loved everything about his work and everyone with whom he worked. Roger spent his early childhood in Gassaway, WV, which he considered his original home, and attended the Catholic school there. He later moved to Montgomery, AL, where he attended Lanier High School and played in the marching band. He was a graduate of the University of Alabama. A man truly in love with life, Roger was an environmentalist, fascinated by nature, creatures and birds of all types. He had many hobbies but mainly enjoyed fishing, golf, tennis, riding his motorcycle on the back roads, wood working and craftsmanship, but above all, he loved music of every kind, particularly when he was a part of it. He was a multi-instrumentalist musician and a wonderful singer, associated with numerous bands over four decades, including his favorite stints with his friend Lee White as Just Two Guys, the B-Side Band with his wife and other friends and the popular Old Dog Reunion. He was a member of St. Patrick's Church in Phenix City, where for the past 15 years he thoroughly enjoyed joining with his wife to lead the Sunday morning service choir, playing and singing his beautiful music and being a member of his beloved "choir family." Roger was a loving and peaceful man who adored his wife, his family, his dear friends, especially his fellow musicians, special friends Danny and Sandy Dawson, and his colleagues. He believed strongly in progress and abhorred waste, ignorance, violence and bluster. Roger is survived by his loving wife, Bonnie Barfield Hagerty of Smiths Station, AL, a son of whom he was extremely proud, Galen Roger Hagerty of Auburn, AL, a sister, Judy Hagerty Rowe of Arizona, a beloved step-daughter, Jamie Edwards, of Cumming, GA., his aunt and cousins of West Virginia, and his huge extended loving circle of family and caring friends. Vance Memorial Chapel Phenix City


Published in The Opelika-Auburn News on November 12, 2010