Roger D. Clyne

Longtime Alaskan and Homer resident Roger Dean Clyne died March 18, 2026, at Legacy Meridian Park Hospital in Tualatin, Oregon. He was 84. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. June 13 at The Wynn Nature Center, where he volunteered for many years and also served on the board of directors for the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.

He was born March 26, 1941, in McCall, Idaho. His early years were not a good predictor of the man Roger was to become. While he often told tales of pranks played and a boyhood of happy memories, life was often hard. He was raised mostly by his mother and grandmother. He was the oldest of five siblings.

He worked from the time he was a teen-ager — as a dishwasher at McCall Yacht Club, as a service station employee, as a grocery store worker and on the construction of the Green Peter Dam in Oregon. He considered dropping out of high school until a teacher — Roger Allen Marks, for whom his eldest son is named — strongly encouraged him not only to get his high school diploma but to further his education in college. He listened to that advice. It was in sharp contrast to what another teacher had told him: “The only institution you’re ever going to see the inside of is a prison.”

Roger delighted in telling the story of seeing that teacher at his 50th class reunion. He walked up to her: “Do you remember me?” Yes, she did. Roger then proceeded to tell her not only had he earned his bachelor of science degree from Oregon State University in Corvallis, but he had also earned his master’s from Western Oregon University in Monmouth, and his doctorate in neuropsychology from Oregon State. And he had never seen the inside of a prison. Not impressed, she walked away in a huff.

He was widowed Dec. 31, 1968, with three children under the age of 7 when his first wife, Patricia, died in a car accident.

“He welcomed and was very grateful for the support of many family members, but he was steadfastly anchored in the belief that he had both the responsibility and ability to always be a dad and care provider to his children — which wasn’t necessarily the societal norm in the 1960s for such a situation,” writes his youngest son, Steven.

He met Denice Sherrill in 1969 when they were both students at Western Oregon University working on their master’s degrees. The two married Aug. 6, 1971, blending his family of three children and her family of two children into one. A year later, they came to Alaska where Roger and Denice worked for the Anchorage School District. They moved to Utqiagvik, then called Barrow, in 1978 where Roger worked as a school psychologist for the North Slope Borough School District and several other rural school districts in Alaska.

The family returned to Anchorage in 1982, and after receiving his doctorate, Roger was in private practice for several years, in addition to being a school psychologist for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and other rural school districts. He and Denice moved to Homer in 1998, where they built a home off East Skyline Drive. Roger retired completely in 2004. While the two returned to Portland, Oregon, last summer for medical treatment and to be closer to family, Roger’s intent was always to return to Homer.

Married for 54 years and 7 months, Roger and Denice were a team, supporting each other to reach mutual, personal and professional goals, while nurturing their children and their families.

“Roger was a caring, loving, intelligent, wise spouse, with a curious mind,” writes Denice. “He never stopped reading, learning, or loving. He was my rock whose love will eternally sustain me. I will hold in my memory the loving eye exchanges that felt like a hug and a kiss combined forever.”

Friends were a huge part of their life.

“We loved hosting guests for spontaneous as well as planned dinners, coffee, and travel,” writes Denice. “As most Alaskans realize, friends are family.”

Their hospitality showcased their teamwork. Writes daughter Candace Dauphinais: “They would often host overnight guests that they had met while traveling, inviting them to their beautiful home in Homer. Mom would prepare fabulous, delicious meals while Dad kept wine glasses full and played his part as sous chef and kitchen cleanup crew.”

Her parents had “an insistent joy of staying in touch with friends and family and truly nurturing relationships,” writes Candace.

Roger was active in retirement, which meant gardening at the couple’s home until they moved closer to town, traveling all over the world, taking pictures of nearly everything, and turning those photos into gifts for friends, family, and acquaintances. He never lost his curiosity about the natural world and a walk with him would inevitably turn into an awe-filled adventure.

He remained an Oregon State Beavers’ fan long after he left Oregon. After retiring to Homer, he and Denice would spend many a winter day with their longtime friends Bob and Sherry Hartley watching football and basketball games that featured the Beavers. Roger would always dress in Beaver regalia — orange and black — for these events, remembers Bob, also an OSU grad, who first met Roger back in 1972 when both of their wives worked for the Anchorage School District. A legendary camping trip with the two families’ combined seven children cemented the friendship for all time.

The most common question Roger asked was “Is there anything I can do to help?” remembers Bob. “He was really and truly an unselfish friend.”

All five children remember their dad as a man who put family first and who modeled empathy, kindness, honesty, equity, gratitude, as well as personal and civic accountability — and who had a great sense of humor.

“He was a teaser and he loved to laugh,” writes daughter Shaunna Adams. “He was a people magnet. He loved people.”

“Dad was the best dad a girl could wish for,” writes daughter Natalie Day. “He was the example of what a girl should find in her significant other. … He was a completely attentive father, and grandpa, and his love was unending.”

Son Roger remembers the valuable life skills his dad taught him: how to ride a bike, tie a hook onto a fishing line, start a campfire, safely use a chainsaw and “other implements of destruction,” spin a brodie on a frozen lake, mix and pour concrete, build things and fix things.

“He encouraged and supported me to learn as much as possible. While I may have not always been the best student, he also tried to teach me to be a good brother, son, dad, and person in general.”

He is survived by his wife, Denice; children Roger Allen Clyne (Bonnie), Natalie Day (Steven), Steven Clyne, Candace Dauphinais (Matthew Monroe), and Shaunna Adams; siblings Kay Huskey ,Tom Clyne (Barbara); Cindy Williams (Dave), Darla Hemmert (Roger); nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; extended family members and friends all over the world.

Donations in Roger’s memory can be made to the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, 708 Smokey Bay Way, Homer, AK 99603; or the Bunnell Street Arts Center, 106 W. Bunnell Ave., Homer, AK 99603. Condolences to the family can be sent to 930 Quiet Creek Drive, Homer, AK 99603.