Roger Lee Asbahr

1950 - 2023

Roger Lee Asbahr, 73, passed away at his home in Corvallis on November 9, 2023, surrounded by his loving family.

Roger was born in Corvallis on June 21, 1950, the second of two sons to Lynn and Vera Asbahr and part of the large Asbahr Family which began farming in the Valley during the late 1800s. Roger was born in Corvallis and graduated from Corvallis High School. He is survived by his father Lynn, his brother Mike and his wife of 30 years, Cindy.

In July of last year Roger was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in his Motor Cortex, which immediately restricted his balance, ability to walk and his strength. Roger fought back every day and faced his end with courage and grace.

Roger was many things during his life; he had scraped cement off old bricks for his father as a boy, he had been a musician, a psychotherapist for 14 years, and a self-taught computer programmer and consultant who did IT work for the National Academies of Science and the State Department. Later he became the director of his own company, Axion-IT, in Washington DC. Roger was a born trouble-shooter and was proud of his talent for figuring out just about anything, including computers.

But what really defined Roger throughout his life was his big heart and his love for music and poetry. He began playing the guitar at 15 and joined a band called the Patriots, which soon became a local sensation and opened for popular groups like The Animals.

During his 20's Roger played in a different group for several years, but then put his music on hold while he went to college and earned several advanced degrees, after which he opened a family counseling psychology practice in Corvallis. During the most recent decade he embraced music with all of his heart and played and sang at local venues and wrote the music and lyrics for dozens of songs. Roger also loved hiking, backpacking and being in the wilderness.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Roger at 2:00 pm, January 20, 2024, at McHenry's Mortuary on 5th Street in Corvallis, Oregon.