Roger Lee Bieberdorf
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Roger's obituary
Roger Bieberdorf, 82, of Mesa, AZ, passed away on January 24, 2023, after an arduous battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
Roger was born on January 4, 1941, to Frederick and Vivian Bieberdorf in Northfield, MN. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, Frederick moved the family to San Antonio to be a teacher for the 90-day Wonders. Roger had an older brother, Fred, and older sister, Myrna at the time and Alice was born a few years later in San Antonio.
Roger and his siblings grew up in San Antonio and he graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School at the age of 16 in 1957. Despite his parent’s objections, he went to the University of Texas at Austin and studied zoology and biology. After graduating, he was set to attend dental school but decided that wasn't for him. Roger lost his mother in 1964 in San Antonio.
He met his first wife, Virginia, while at UT. They married in 1962 and shortly thereafter moved to Bakersfield, CA so Roger could pursue a career at Nalco Chemical Company. In 1967 the couple had a son, Brett. That year Roger lost his father in Oklahoma City. After Roger's promotion to district manager, Roger, Virginia, and Brett moved to St. Louis in 1969. Roger and Virginia divorced in 1970 and Roger continued to raise Brett as a single dad. But not for long!
Roger met Judy in 1971 in St. Louis and the two married in 1972. That same year Judy adopted Brett. In 1974, Becki was born in St. Louis. During a business trip, Roger discovered how much he liked Phoenix, AZ. He was considering a transfer to the Grand Canyon state when Nalco chose to send him back to California. Instead, Roger resigned, and the family moved to Scottsdale in 1976. Shortly after the move their youngest and most favorite daughter, Ann was born. They moved to Gilbert, AZ in 1978 after the couple literally built the home where they raised the three kids. In 1980, they then built a cabin in Pinetop, AZ that the family still enjoys today.
Under Tom Birkel's astute influence, Roger and Judy found an electrical contracting company to purchase in 1977. With years of hard work by Roger and Judy and a team of dedicated employees, Rural Electric grew from a store with a few electricians doing service work to a thriving multi-state heavy industrial electrical contractor, where some of Roger's children are still at the lead.
In 1998, Roger and Judy embarked on a project at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. They worked there and built a house in New Braunfels, TX in 2005. They loved Texas and made many lifetime friends there. As a family we worried we might lose them to great food in the region, music of Greune Hall and they would never return to Arizona. Roger semi-retired in June 2006 but continued to run a successful operation in Texas for nearly a decade. Roger and Judy split their time between Texas and Arizona and went on many vacations all around the world to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
In 1994, they met their first grandchild and have a special place in their hearts for all eight of them. While Granny loved all her grands immediately, Grandpa thoroughly enjoyed them as his grandkids got older and he could instill in them a sense of humor, instructions on how to care for tools, and restoration of classic cars. In 2022, they met their first great-grandchild.
Roger was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2021, which is currently incurable. He was put on home hospice in early 2022 to help improve his quality of life. In November 2022, Roger and Judy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In January 2023, Roger celebrated his 82nd birthday. Sadly, Roger left us peacefully on January 24, 2023, surrounded by family. He is no longer suffering and now with Jesus. He is survived by his wife, Judy, his sister, Alice, his children, Brett (Leslie), Becki (Dustin), and Ann (Chris), his grandchildren, Nick, Erik (Katlyn), Ryan, Jasmine, Wyatt, Nate, Libby, & RJ, and his only great-granddaughter Natalie.
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