George “Roger” Blackwell, 73, passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 24, 2018. He was visiting his daughter in Houston, Texas for Christmas.

Roger was the son of George Blackwell and Darlene (George) Ellings. He is survived by his daughters Emily Blanchette of Weare, New Hampshire, and Becky Sandoval of Houston, Texas. He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Jacob Blanchette, Meghan Blanchette, Hope Sandoval, and Avery Sandoval. Finally, he is survived by his sister Marsha Kapalka of Arlington, Texas, and nephew Zach Kapalka.

Roger was well known for his smile, his laugh and never meeting a stranger. He was a wonderful coach, teacher, counselor, and friend. His love for sports and helping others overflowed into everything he did. He loved to be outdoors and never liked to be idle. He would always say, “fish start to stink after three days,” which we knew meant that he would be planning and moving on to his next adventure. Life to him was an adventure and he enjoyed every moment, never following a map or directions, but just enjoying the journey. One thing he taught all of us was to enjoy the moment. We will miss him greatly and endeavor to carry on his legacy to love, laugh and live life to the fullest.

The memorial service will be held on January 5, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at the Garfield Community Center, 315 School Street, Garfield, KS. The family requests that in lieu of sending flowers, gracious donors make a gift to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, one of Roger’s favorite organizations, at the following link: https://my.fca.org/southwestmofca.