Roger Holmbo, of Hanover, IL, passed away Friday, January 28th, at Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford, IL. Funeral service will be held at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, February 6th, at the Law Jones Funeral Home in Hanover. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will take place in the Evergreen Cemetery on Monday, February 7th, at 2:00 p.m. Friends are invited to watch the service at 6:00 p.m. on Facebook live at this link, http://bit.ly/3uvW4gi
Roger was born April 11th, 1947, son of Arthur and Verna (Steele) Holmbo. He grew up in Hanover, and attended Hanover schools, graduating in 1965. Roger was a good High School athlete and played for the Hanover football and basketball teams. He also played in recreational softball leagues after graduation. He married his high school sweetheart, Sharon in 1967, and together the couple raised two children, Peggy and Todd.
Roger began working in plumbing and heating before finding his career as a pipe fitter. He worked at several of the nuclear power plants across the state. In 1989 Roger bought the Viking Inn in downtown Hanover, and operated the business for over 30 years.
Roger loved spending time in the outdoors. An avid hunter, fisherman, and sport shooter, he taught his son to hunt, and loved to share fishing and hunting tales with his family and friends. Roger also loved golf, and later in life spent much of his free time golfing at the Galena Country Club and Storybrook Country Club in Hanover. Roger was a longtime member of the Elizabeth Masonic Lodge, and the Elk Lodge, and a generous supporter of several environmental and wildlife conservation organizations. He was also a word puzzle expert, and a reliable handy man – if he couldn’t fix it, it couldn’t be fixed.
Roger enjoyed spending time with friends, and loved animals, especially his cat, and dogs. At the center of his life was family. He loved being a father and grandfather, and had great pride in his children and grandchildren’s accomplishments.
Roger will be dearly missed by his two children, Todd Holmbo of Cold Spring, NY, and Peggy (Lowell) Kemp of Scales Mound, IL; six grandchildren, Eric, Soren, Kristjan, Liv, Ashley, and Kayla; two great-grandchildren, Remi, and Corbin; ex-wife, Sharon Holmbo of Hanover; brother, James Holmbo of Hanover; sister-in-law, Marcia Holmbo of Sabula, IA; in-laws Marianne Murphy of Hanover, Martin and Janet Altensey of Savanna, IL, Jack and Carole Murphy of Blue Grass, IA; dear friend Jenifer Sullivan of Elizabeth, IL; and many nieces and nephews. Roger is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Verna, his brother, Stanley, and brother-in-law Gerald Murphy.
Published by Law-Jones Funeral Home – Hanover on Feb. 4, 2022.
