Roger S Leighton

ROGER STEPHEN LEIGHTON  (JUNE 21, 1919-August 19, 2016)   Roger Stephen Leighton, Sr was born June 21, 1919 at home on the family farm in Strafford, NH. The son of George Byron Leighton and Lena Vernice Waldron Leighton, he was an Rh baby and barely survived his first year. Though sickly as a young child, he grew to be a strong man with a masterful mind who filled his 97 years with diverse interests and talents: forester, historian, genealogist, surveyor, realtor, water dowser and gentleman farmer.   Roger lived all of his life in Strafford; only moving down the hill and just over the Barrington line in 2011 to stay with his daughter. As a child, he attended (via horse and buggy) the one-room schoolhouse in Bow Lake for 7 years, then skipped 8th grade to enter Austin Cate Academy. After high school, Roger had planned to become a farmer like his father, but a dairy farmer he worked for convinced him to go to UNH. He was able to go by receiving a scholarship and commuting to Durham on the farmer's milk truck. He graduated in 1941 with a degree in forestry and with minors in botany and wildlife management.   After graduation, Roger enlisted in the Army Air Force and was trained as a meteorologist. He was stationed in India, part of the China Burma India Theater of Operations. Part of his duties included flying on weather reconnaissance, in order to accurately forecast for critical supply missions over "The Hump"-the dangerous and often deadly pass through the Himalayas. He remained in the service from July 1941 until Christmas of 1945, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant.   After the war, Roger worked for NH Fish and Game, then for the Cooperative Extension Service for 21 years as County Forester in both Belknap and Strafford counties. In 1972, he moved to UNH as Program Leader for all of the state's county foresters. Retiring in 1979, he began forestry consulting, with a particular focus on helping private landowners acquire and conserve large tracts of land. Through this work, he was instrumental in the conservation of thousands of acres in Strafford County.   Roger served as a Strafford selectman and, as an unofficial town historian, was a primary force behind the formation of the Strafford Historical Society, serving as president and spearheading efforts to preserve the Waldron Store, which was owned by his mother's ancestors. True to his love of trees, Roger nurtured several Christmas tree plantations, planting his first seedlings right after the war, and serving loyal customers with his fresh trees for over 50 years.   Roger was married to Margaret Justine Riddervold Leighton from October 1, 1949 until her death on September 22, 2009. He was predeceased by his sister, Irene York of Dover, and is survived by his four children and their families, Roger Stephen Leighton, Jr of Bow Lake, Strafford, Margaret Elizabeth Leighton of Denver, Colorado, Martha Vernice Leighton of Bow Lake, Strafford, and Mary Abigail Aucella of Barrington.   An informal gathering to commemorate Roger's life will be held at the Bow Lake Grange Hall between 2-4 PM on October 23, 2016.