Roger W. Irons

Irons, Roger W., 76, Windber, passed away September 2, 2023 at Hilltop Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center. Born August 25, 1947 in Johnstown, son of the late William and Esther (Wissinger) Irons. Preceded in death by sister, Janice “Jan” Hershiser; nephew, William “Billy” Hershiser; great-nephew, Robert "Bo" Moschgat Jr. Survived by loving son, Broderick Irons and girlfriend Amy; daughter Rebecca “Becky” (Albright) and husband Robert “Rob” Madison; niece, Kristin Clemens; great nephews, Paul and Trey; great niece, Madelyn; and best friend, Dana Sklinar. Roger was a proud U.S. Marine veteran. Roger was raised in the Belmont neighborhood of Johnstown, PA. he placed 4th in Plymouth’s National Troubleshooting Contest in 1964 while attending Johnstown High School, showcasing his mechanical ingenuity from a young age. He enlisted in the USMC at 17 and trained as an air traffic controller, the duties of which he performed with MATCU-62 in Vietnam during the siege of Khe Sanh and at MCAS Yuma, AZ. Roger developed a passion for gourmet cooking and entered the industry in San Diego, CA after serving the Marines at Yuma, AZ. There, he worked in and managed fine dining establishments including The Hotel InterContinental, Ten Downing Evening Fare, Bali Hai, and El Torito. His love for nature and skiing took him to the mountain towns of June Lake and Big Bear California, before Treasure Lake, PA. His ceaseless entrepreneurial spirit led him to found businesses such as The Sundance Saloon, One For All Promotions, and Precise Marketing Concepts. He created his own patch of heaven atop a mountain near Windber which he dubbed “Blue Sky Ranch”, where he raised his son and the two of them enjoyed the summer crickets, tree frogs, and sunsets. An avid handyman and pursuer of projects, he built his dream home there as a monument to the peaceful solitude he enjoyed with the trees, deer, turkeys, and his cat, Smokey. Roger explored the world, becoming familiar with the people and natural beauty of Singapore, Japan, California’s national parks, Washington’s Puget Sound, British Columbia, Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies, the Swiss Alps, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, China, Las Vegas, the Alaskan coast, Idaho, Arizona, Niagara Falls, Puerto Rico, Colorado, and the southeastern U.S. He collected maps, friends, and stories at each bend in the road. He loved skiing, sailing, hiking, cooking gourmet meals and confections, French Bordeaux, good Scotch, rare steak, barbecue, listening to the Blues, western movies, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a good cigar. He loved riding motorcycles, driving sports cars, and weekend trips for business and pleasure. But, his favorite place was in the company of those he loved. His favorite activity was that which brought him closer to those friends and relatives. And his favorite meal was the one he was cooking with you. His sense of humor was enduring; at times good, at times dark, at times sarcastic, but his smile and laugh were contagious. Never one to judge, he chose his words truthfully to suit the situation. He lived his life with fierce integrity, and with unyielding loyalty to his friends and family. He will be missed dearly. Roger was an easy man to love. Family will receive friends Saturday, October 7th at the funeral home from 10:00 a.m. to time of VFW service to be held 11:00 a.m. with his Celebration of Life to follow Rev. Charles Baughman, officiating at Meek & Dalla Valle Funeral Home of Windber. Memorial contributions may be directed to Windber VFW in memory of Roger. www.meekfuneralhome.com. 

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