Roman Hans von Riesen

1930 - 2025

Roman Hans von Riesen, 94, of Becket, MA and Seattle, WA died peacefully on Friday, October 3 after a brief illness, surrounded by those who loved him most: his son Richard, daughter-in-law Nancy, and his longtime caregiver, Toshi. Born in Tallinn, Estonia on November 28, 1930, son of the late Walter Hans and Margot Kokke von Riesen, Roman was swept up in the events of the Second World War. Roman's family fled to Germany in 1940 after the Soviet invasion of Estonia to avoid being executed or exiled to Siberia.

After spending a year in Berlin with its multiple layers of danger and intrigue, the family moved to the Black Forest region, in the countryside outside of Schramberg, where the family spent the remainder of the war. After secondary school, Roman studied mathematics at the Nuremberg College of Economics and Social Sciences while serving in the U.S. Army Civilian Guard as a Military Policeman.

In 1952, Roman emigrated to America at the age of 21 by himself with $100 in his pocket (equivalent to $3,900 in 2025.) He was sponsored by a German family in Hudson, South Dakota where he studied English at Augustana Academy and worked as a farmhand since the Korean War had depleted the supply of local farmhands.

After a year at Augustana Academy, in 1953, Roman enlisted in the US Air Force. After Basic Training at Parks AFB in Dublin, California and Tech School at Lowry AFB in Aurora, Colorado, he was certified as a radio and radar repairman working on the ground crew supporting F-84 and F-86 fighter-bombers. He was assigned to the Louisiana Air National Guard as replacement crew and immediately sent to Chaumont Air Base in Haute-Marne, France. While on active-duty Roman also served at Sidi Slimane Air Base near Rabat, Morocco and Wheelus Air Base near Tripoli, Libya. Roman was released from active duty in 1957 and assigned to the Air Force Reserve where he trained at Paine AFB in Everett, WA in 1957 and then at Bradley AFB in Windsor Locks, CT from 1958-1961.

While in Chaumont, Roman met his future wife, Jocelyn Dugas of Springfield, Massachusetts, who was a civilian employee of the USAF in both Chaumont and Rabat. The couple married in June 1957 at St. Thomas Acquinas Church in Springfield.

Once released from active duty, Roman was recruited by the, then named, Boeing Airplane Company, where he worked on assembling some of the earliest Boeing 707's in 1957 & 1958.

After a year of factory work and the birth of his son, Richard, Roman decided that he was tired of working with planes and on the flight line. Returning to Jocelyn's home town, Springfield, in late 1958, Roman enrolled at American International College where he graduated with a BA in Political Science in 1962.

Roman held various sales and managerial positions for the remainder of his career in a wide variety of consumer and industrial industries with high-end real estate development concluding his career in the late 1980's. Roman and Jocelyn divorced in 1978 after 21 years of marriage.

Roman then became involved with the long-term love of his life for 38 years, Haydee Pinero Buck. The couple retired in the late 1980's and lived a life of constant change and travel with an ongoing seasonal rotation between homes in Becket, MA; Katonah, NY; and Vieques, Puerto Rico along with multiple and extensive trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

After Haydee's passing in 2016, Roman established a residence in Seattle to be closer to his son and daughter-in-law, while maintaining his home in Becket. While Roman spent much of his time in Seattle, 'home' was always the Berkshires and Becket, to which Roman returned multiple times each year for extended visits.

Roman's great interests were tending an extensive array of bird feeders at each of his properties, the Boston Red Sox, and watching documentaries on TV. Roman loved to travel, almost anywhere, be it on the Mass Pike for his 1000th trip to Boston, up Route 91 to points north, or a trip halfway around the world. Of even greater enjoyment to Roman was sitting on his porch in Puerto Rico, or a villa in Hawaii, just looking at the waves for hours while the sun rose and eventually set on the horizon.

Roman is survived by his son, Richard, and daughter-in-law, Nancy, along with Haydee's son, Christopher, and his family (Sam, Hara, Oliver, Simon) and his devoted caregiver for the past eight years, Toshi.

Funeral Notice: There will be a graveside service for Roman at 11AM at the Becket Center Cemetery in Becket, MA followed by a reception and celebration of Roman's life at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA at 12:30 PM. All are welcome to attend.