Roger Zelaya

~ In lieu of flowers, food, or other gifts, the family is requesting that donations be made to assist Roger’s grandchildren here. ~

Roger Zelaya, 69, of Margate, FL was taken from us suddenly on November 27, 2021. 

Roger was born on December 1, 1951 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He spent his formative years there before moving to the United States at the age of 8, taking up residence in Emerson, New Jersey. It was there he met his high school sweetheart and future wife, Dolores (lovingly called Cookie), and they were married in 1976. 

Roger was fun and social. He was the life of the party and a “really cool guy.” With age, that became “talk your ear off” – meant in the most affectionate of ways. Really though, lots of eye rolls at the dinner table when he asked who wanted to hear the story of how the war of 1812 began (again.) No one did.

But he deeply loved history and religion and culture and his quest for knowledge in that arena was never-ending. Back before computers, he read encyclopedias. As of late, he Googled and YouTubed. He could spew facts for days, and given his penchant for exaggeration, was sometimes questioned on his “facts.”

“I don’t think that really happened, Dad.”

Speaking of which, he was well known for being a little…over the top. Dramatic perhaps. So much so, that in his last days, he said that he wanted his urn to read “I Told You I Was Sick.”

He always did have a sense of humor.

Roger was ambitious and determined, and always dreamt big. At 17, he began working tirelessly to put himself through college and earn his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Montclair State College. He went on to own several businesses in his lifetime, from a sandwich shop to his own cleaning company. Other ideas on the list included a restaurant, a B&B on the beach, and a hot dog stand…he just ran out of time.

Music was the constant in his life. He loved to sing and had a beautiful, loud, strong voice. He was emotionally drawn to poignant lyrics, melody and rhythm. No genre was off limits, but big band and Latin love songs were among his favorites. He listened to music at an unhealthy decibel – and loved every second of it. 

His greatest loves were God, his family, and his country. Be it his country of origin or his country of residence, he was patriotic through and through. Family was always on his heart, and he had the biggest one there was – even if his bark was just as big. But above all else, he always put the Lord first, and now he is at peace with Him. 

Roger is survived by his wife, Dolores; children, Alicia and David; grandchildren, Cole, Aiden, Christian and Avery; brothers, Carlos and Ricky; and sisters, Suyapa, Claudia, Elise and Jackie. 

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, December 5 at 12:00pm at Monarch Funeral Home.

Share your memories of Roger or express condolences to his family through our online guestbook.