Roger Lee Tolar

1929 - 2019

March 26, 1929 - June 26, 2019
Roger L. Tolar passed away at age 90 after a life of service to society. There will be a memorial service at 10:30am on June 29 at Central Christian Church, 720 North Main.

He valued family, education, athleticism, and teaching children to swim. He was an amazing story-teller, recounting tales of his adventures hitchhiking to California when he was 10 with brother, Jack, age 12, to participate in the Men's Open National Diving Competition. Other topics were his sailing adventures, crossing the Atlantic as crew on a racing yacht, braving the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Louisiana, racing from St. Petersburg to Havana.

At age 12 he taught swimming at. San Antonio Country Club and later at Jack Tolar's River Ranch Day Camp and Activity School. Thousands of former students remember Roger's unique technique of teaching, getting "sky-ride" when they accomplished a task.

When he was 17 he joined the Marines, then volunteered for the Air National Guard. He earned two BA degrees, MA in Counseling and Guidance, PhD in Child Growth and Development, certificates as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. He then took Spanish classes to become bilingual. His education never stopped. He earned every certification from Kindergarten to Superintendent.

Roger swam for the University of Texas at Austin, played every intramural sport, earning the "T" award, began running marathons at age 40 finishing 31 marathons including Boston. In his 60's he took up bicycling. He was a Renaissance man.


Roger's survivors include his wife, Bettye Carolyn, son Dr. Roger L. Tolar Jr., (Tyleen), Robert Jack Tolar (Debra), Anna Leigh Tolar Chauvin (Todd), and Timothy Dryden Tolar (Aimee), 13 grandchildren. In lieu of flowers please support Central Christian Church, Friends of Hospice, or Boysville.

Parking is free at M&S Tower, Central Christian parking lot at Main and Quincy, or across from the church at Main Street.