Norwich - Joseph Roger Marien passed away Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016, after a short illness.He was born on March 27, 1927, in Norwich, the son of the late Joseph and Irene (Bourdon) Marien of Taftville. He was married to Katherine (Caulfield) Marien on Nov. 6, 1954, at Sacred Heart Church, in Norwichtown. She predeceased him in 2003.He graduated from the National School of Finance and Management at Brown University.Roger is a veteran of
World War II. He enlisted in the
U.S. Navy and served as a radio man using Morse Code. He was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of 3rd class petty officer.He played baseball in the early 1940s for the Thamesville A.C. in the Norwich Twilight League with Yogi Berra and Bill Johnson of the New York Yankees and Babe Young of the Giants while they were stationed in Groton. From there he went on to play professional baseball in Florida, North and South Carolina and Georgia. After he finished playing baseball, he went on to play golf and was the golf champion at Norwich Golf Course and he played tennis where he was a top ranking amateur in New England.Roger worked at the Norwich Savings Society as a senior vice president. He began his career typing transactions into savings passbooks and over the next 37 years held nearly every position in the bank. By the time he retired in 1989, he was known as "Mr. Norwich Savings Society".He had an equally long and impressive record of community service. Roger was the treasurer of the Norwich Golf Course for 21 years, chairman of the Norwich Recreation Advisory Committee for 35 years, and an Incorporator of Norwich Free Academy for many years. He was the president of the Norwich Rose Arts Festival, treasurer of the Norwich Chamber of Commerce, a member of the board of the Norwich Community Development Corporation. He was also treasurer of the Mohegan Community College Foundation and the treasurer of the fundraising campaign for the MIA/POW committee.He is survived by two sons, Thomas and his wife, Marcia, of Middletown and John and his wife, Robyn, of Preston; five granddaughters, Nicole, Rebecca, Bridget, Sarah-Kate and Chloe. He leaves his loving companion of the last 10 years, Margaret Aldrich of Norwich. He also leaves five siblings, Richard "Dish" and Germaine Marien of Taftville, Theresa Portelance of Norwich, Rita and Bob Dugas of Lisbon and Raymond "Pete" Marien of Taftville; a sister-in-law, Grace Nickeson; as well as many, many nieces and nephews on both the Marien and Caulfield sides.Besides his parents and wife, he was predeceased by a sister, Doris Rose Marien, who died in childhood.There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, followed immediately by a Christian burial in Maplewood Cemetery in Norwich. Calling hours will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, at the Cummings-Gagne Funeral Home, 82 Cliff St., Norwich.In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Norwich Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation noting it is in memory of J. Roger Marien and mailed to Planned Giving, 197 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360.
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