Roger CORDES

Family-Placed Death Notice

CORDES, Roger ROGER LATHAM CORDES Roger Latham Cordes, retired land surveyor and landscape architect, died July 5, 2012. Born October 31, 1929 in Braintree, Massachusetts, he lived in the Atlanta area since 1934. He graduated from Druid Hills High School in 1946 and entered Georgia Tech in the fall of that year. Roger then transferred to Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he met and married a fellow freshman and the love of his life, Betty Jane LaPalme. He graduated cum laude in 1953 with a B. S. Degree in Physical Education. Roger was the first male elementary school teacher hired by the DeKalb County system, where he taught sixth grade and was responsible for the physical education program for the entire school. Roger took a summer job with the engineering firm of Watts & Browning in June, 1954, and became registered as a land surveyor in early 1957. In 1958, he founded, with the late Virgil F. Gaddy, the firm Gaddy-Cordes & Associates. In 1959, he was granted licensure as a landscape architect. Roger bought Mr. Gaddy's interest in the firm in 1964 and renamed the firm Roger L. Cordes & Associates. In April 1984 he sold the firm to his principal employee, Ken Quintana. The business continues to operate Cumming, Georgia. Upon retirement, Roger provided consulting services as a golf architect, concentrating on improving course drainage, and continued to work as a consultant in electronic surveying techniques for Allen Precision Equipment of Doraville. An avid golfer, Roger achieved shooting his age several times. He was a member of Fairington Golf and Tennis Club (1969-73), East Lake Golf Club (1973-2012), Metropolitan Golf and Tennis Club (1995-1999), and Trophy Club Gwinnett (1999-2005). In 2005, Roger joined Summit Chase Country Club, where he remained until his death. Roger began volunteer work with the Georgia State Golf Association and was elected to the GSGA Board of Directors in 1994. An experienced rules of golf official, he served as calligrapher, producing hand lettered scoreboards for the GSGA, LPGA, Champion's Tour and other tournaments and organizations. Roger also was a course rater and served on the Handicap, Site Selection and Senior Committees. Roger was honored in 2003 with the Bill Todd Award, in recognition of his long service to the Association and the game of golf. Roger was preceded in death by his brother William J. Cordes, Jr. (2nd Lt. AUS, KIA Germany 1945), his brother Gilbert Wesley Marsh Cordes (2nd Lt. USMC, KIA Korea 1952), his parents William J. Cordes and Marian Marsh Cordes, and his grandson Erin Alexander Cordes. Surviving are his wife of 62 years, Betty LaPalme Cordes of the home, sister Mary "Mimi" Cordes Kelley of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, brother Philip Burr Cordes of Atlanta, sons William Joseph Cordes III (Miriam) of Missoula, Montana, Forrest Nubar Wesley Cordes of Decatur, and Roger Latham Cordes, Jr. (Elizabeth) of Oriental, North Carolina. Also surviving are two grandsons, Roger Latham Cordes III (Meghan) of San Francisco, and Evan Joseph Cordes (Sarah) of Decatur, and one great-granddaughter, Beatrice Jacqueline Cordes. A ten-year cancer survivor, Roger encouraged other victims of pancreatic cancer as often as he met them. Several years ago, with the GSGA Foundation, Roger established a scholarship for young college golfers. Remembrance gifts to the scholarship fund would be gratefully accepted. Please address donations to: Roger L. Cordes Scholarship, GSGA Foundation, 121 Village Parkway, Building 3, Marietta, Georgia 30067. Roger's remains were cremated and his spirit will abide at Sutherland's Bunker, St. Andrews Old Course, Scotland. In accordance with Roger's wishes, no funeral or memorial service is planned.