Roger G Parrot

Roger G. Parrot, 77, of Pickerington, Ohio, passed away on April 30, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 54 years Barbara; children Sarah (Jason Lewis), John (Kaitlinn Chamberlain), and Benjamin; granddaughters Rachel and Katherine Lewis; and nephews and nieces Matthew (Lora) Givler, Rhonda (Jeffrey) Thistlethwaite, Nicole Curry, and Craig Curry. He was preceded in death by his parents Lewis and Matilda (Meier) Parrot; siblings Ronald Parrot and Shirley Givler; parents-in-law Vernon and Helen (Mott) Curry; and brothers- and sister-in-law Omar Givler and Carl and Joyce Curry.
Born on December 3, 1947, Roger was raised in the small town of Wilmot in northeastern Ohio. After graduating at the top of his class at Fairless High School, he became the first person in his family to attend college and enrolled at The Ohio State University, where he met his future wife Barbara. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, followed by a Master of Business Administration.
As a student, Roger served in the United States Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps. After completing his studies at Ohio State, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to Fort Benning in Georgia, where he was later promoted to First Lieutenant before continuing to serve in the Army Reserves.
Upon his return to Ohio, Roger began a long and illustrious career in public service as a Certified Public Accountant and auditor within various state agencies, serving for the longest period of time in the Office of the Ohio Auditor of State.
A member of Peace United Methodist Church in Pickerington from 1980 until his death, Roger served faithfully in numerous ways. In his later years, Roger became particularly involved in Peace UMC's Helping Hands ministry, which provides medical equipment free of charge to people in need, and volunteered most of his free time to clean hospital beds and deliver wheelchairs all over central Ohio in the service of his community.
An avid sports enthusiast, Roger played for much of his life as the catcher on numerous baseball and softball teams and served as the coach for many youth sports teams and church softball teams. When he was not on the field or coaching from the sidelines, he enjoyed watching the OSU Buckeyes, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Cleveland Browns on TV, usually with a dachshund or two on his lap.
Roger may have been unapologetically frugal, but he vacationed frequently at Walt Disney World, where the only thing he enjoyed more than riding "it's a small world" was finding new ways to get his money's worth.
Roger was an unfailingly hard worker and taught his children to follow his example. Most notably, he encouraged his children to become paper carriers for the Columbus Dispatch and woke up regularly at 5 A.M. for twelve years to assist them with their deliveries. Although he was a world-class worrier by nature, Roger often expressed his worry as loving concern for his family, manifested in simple acts such as escorting his expectant daughter by the arm across a snow-covered parking lot, losing sleep the night before his granddaughter's medical procedure, or asking about his wife's well-being while he was the one in the hospital. Roger will be greatly missed by those who knew him.
Calling hours will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, May 9, and from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 10, at Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home in Pickerington (550 Hill Road North). The memorial service will be on Saturday, May 10, at 11:00 AM at the same location.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations in Roger's memory to the Cure Alzheimer's Fund or the Helping Hands ministry at Peace United Methodist Church in Pickerington.