Roger Viers Paxton was born on December 27, 1935, in Ashland, Ohio, and died on May 18, 2026. His beloved parents were Roger M. Paxton and L. Lucille Johnson Paxton.

Roger married Rita Ann Hancock on July 1, 1961. Together they had two children, Damon and Katrina, and four grandchildren who were the light of their lives. Roger lived in Ohio, California, Utah, and Yugoslavia. He was a convert to the Catholic Church, a conversion connected to a trip to Poland with twenty teenagers and three teachers. Roger loved gardening, travel, and entertaining friends on numerous occasions.

Roger’s high school and university experiences shaped many of his lifelong passions. During those years, he developed interests in foreign languages, sports, and music. He played high school football for three years and ran track for one year. Roger studied Latin, Spanish, Russian, German, and Serbian at Ashland High School, Ohio State University, Stanford University, and the University of Belgrade. In the 1940s and early 1950s, his father took him to watch his favorite baseball team, the Cleveland Indians. An avid sports fan, Roger followed the juggernaut Cleveland Browns football team during their years of dominance in the 1940s and 1950s. A close friend introduced him to his two favorite musical genres, jazz and classical music, which he continued to enjoy throughout the rest of his life. He was a regular attendee of the highly acclaimed Salt Lake City Jazz Concert Series for many years and donated funds to help bring outstanding jazz performers to local venues.

Roger earned his B.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University (1958-1968) and his M.A. from Ohio State University (1960). At Stanford, he majored in history, received a scholarship, and graduated cum laude. Roger was awarded a grant from the Yugoslav government (1963-1964) that allowed him to live abroad in Belgrade with his young family while continuing his dissertation research on Serbian political and diplomatic history at the University of Belgrade. He later earned a sabbatical leave (1971-1972) and received a university research grant that enabled him to investigate Serbian nationalism, revolution, and cultural and intellectual history.

The family resided with the same Serbian family for twenty-one months, learning the language, culture, customs, and cuisine. Roger published several articles in respected journals, wrote a chapter in a festschrift, and composed numerous book reviews. American and European scholars utilized Roger’s published materials in their own works. He also wrote manuscripts on L.D.S. history.

Roger was a professor of history specializing in Russian and East European history at the University of Utah for forty years (1964-2004). As a member of the history department administration, he served one term as Associate Chair and held the position of Undergraduate Advisor for several years. Roger received a university student-nominated Teaching Award and retired as Professor Emeritus in 2001.

He volunteered at the Cathedral of the Madeleine with the Good Samaritan Program for eight years and served as a Eucharistic minister for ten years. Roger also worked as a volunteer support staff member at LDS Hospital’s Medical Library for over a decade. He volunteered as a half-time archivist in the University of Utah Marriott Library’s highly valued Special Collections division for nineteen years. Roger’s volunteer work preparing lunches for those in need, along with his years of service as a Eucharistic minister, represented a significant part of his rich religious and service life. His archival work processing materials on Mormon culture and history deepened his own personal ecumenical journey.

He was a founding member and officer of the popular Mountain Food & Wine Society and was also a member of La Chaine des Rotisseurs. Roger served as president of the Stanford Club of Utah and belonged to several organizations, including Men’s Night Out Organization No Steak Houses, ZOO, Les Amis du Vin, and Bar Buddies.

Roger will be remembered for his lifelong love of libraries, unique laugh, generosity, sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and kind smile. His family and friends will sorely miss his love, presence, and camaraderie.

He is survived by his wife, Rita; his children, Damon and Katrina (Andrew Jorgenson); his grandchildren, Sean and Ian Paxton Taylor, and Roger and Onyx Paxton-Jorgenson; and his sister, Holly Smalley.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roger M. Paxton and L. Lucille Johnson Paxton, and by his sister, Marilyn Paxton Tallman.