Roger Cannon was an avid HF’er and DX’er. He was active in the RMRA and the Wisconsin Valley Radio Association.
Roger was born July 8, 1924 in Dale, Wisconsin, to Harry Cannon and Ila (Larsen) Cannon, the oldest of four brothers.
While growing up he showed an avid interest in electronics. After graduating from high school (Mendota, IL) in 1942, he entered the Army. Following more than a year of training in New Jersey, he was deployed to India, where he maintained gasoline refrigeration units.
After the war, Roger attended Engineering School at UW Madison for two years. While away from school and working in a radio repair shop in the Green Bay area, he met Elizabeth Fadner, a teacher at the school where his mother was secretary. He told her, "You are the girl I'm going to marry". Then, he quit his job, gave her a ring, and applied at IBM—in that order. Roger and Beth were married in Calumet Michigan July 5th 1952, the hottest day of that year in the UP. Following the ceremony, they boarded the train for Endicott, New York. There, Roger completed his training for IBM. The company sent them to Green Bay, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids, before they finally settled in Wausau, where he worked until retiring in 1987.
In Wausau, they raised two sons, Michael and Robert. Roger accumulated an extensive library of Science Fiction titles, and fulfilled a lifelong fascination with flying by maintaining his membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association. For many, many years, he made the August drive to the EAA Fly-In at Whitman Field in Oshkosh.
He also was a member of the group who worked to restore the Kilgen pipe organ at Wausau's Grand Theater.
Roger and Beth enjoyed playing Bridge with their many friends, camping, and traveling throughout the Midwest.
In a 35-year career with IBM, working on mainframe computers, Roger was known for his dependability, cheerfulness, and hard work, but especially for the bad jokes he brought with him on each service visit. On several occasions, he taught classes at the IBM Education Centers.
Roger Cannon died at home, Sunday, December 5th 2010.