Roger Tim Hoiles

1942 - 2022

By Nancy Gagnet
Blade Staff Writer

Roger Tim Hoiles, a devoted community member, enthusiastic supporter of Elmwood athletics and former mayor of the village of Wayne, a rural community southeast of Bowling Green, died in his home Thursday. He was 79.

He had a failing liver and circulation problems, and his health quickly declined over a short period of time, said his son Matt Hoiles.

Mr. Hoiles gravitated to leadership roles in the community as he was elected mayor of the village of Wayne in 1978, serving one term in office. While serving as mayor, he was also elected to the Elmwood Board of Education, where he served two terms in office from 1980 to 1988.

"He was active in a lot of different things in and around the community," the younger Mr. Hoiles said. "My dad and mom were people who knew that there needed to be somebody that headed things up, and that's where dad really shined. He was level-headed and open to change, and he was always willing to be that guy."

Mr. Hoiles was involved in youth sports, serving as president of Elmwood Little League then on the Elmwood athletic boosters with his wife. The couple rarely missed watching their children compete in football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and track. Their son Chris Hoiles went on to play professional baseball, first with the Detroit Tigers in 1986, then for the Baltimore Orioles from 1989 to 2000.

After Mr. Hoiles stepped away from being actively involved with the boosters, he continued to attend games, his son said.

Mr. Hoiles was born in Carey on March 12, 1942, and at a very young age his family moved to the village of Wayne, where he spent his formative years. He was a member of the Elmwood High School class of 1960, which was the first graduating class when it was constructed to serve students from the Wayne, Bloomdale, Cygnet and Portage areas, said his son. It was during his last year of high school that he met Carol Sue Feltman, whom he married June 2, 1962.

Mr. Hoiles and his wife settled in Wayne where they purchased his childhood home and raised their children. She died in 2018.

Mr. Hoiles received a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Toledo and spent 57 years working as a boiler inspector for several companies, including Cincinnati Insurance and Travelers Insurance.

He was a member of Mount Zion Church where he was a board trustee and a Sunday school teacher. He also served as a Boy Scouts leader for Wayne Troop 317. He enjoyed fishing, playing golf, and hunting at various spots around the country.

"He was true to his belief in treating people the right way, and I think that's why people really clung to dad," Matt Hoiles said. "When dad spoke, he had good wisdom and he was just a great guy to talk to. People loved being around him and they knew that whatever help dad could give, they were going to get it."

Surviving are his daughter Kim Rothenbuhler; sons Chris Hoiles and Matt Hoiles; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Visitation is planned for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at Dunn Funeral Home at 408 W. Wooster St. in Bowling Green with a private interment taking place at Mount Zion Cemetery in Wayne.

Tributes may be given in his memory to the Wayne Public Library or the Elmwood Athletic Fund.