Roger James Nordin

Roger Nordin, born Feb. 23, 1947 in Jamestown, N.Y. to Rev. Willard and Esther Nordin, passed away on April 2 at his home in Downey after a courageous battle with cancer. A longtime Downey resident he attended East Middle School and graduated from Downey High in 1965.While training Tennessee Walking Horses in Clovis, California, he was drafted by the U.S. Army on Thanksgiving Day 1967. He was sent to Vietnam soon after and was assigned to Bravo Company as a sergeant and affectionately nicknamed "Babycakes" by his men. After his service to his country he returned home and went to work for Rockview Dairies. He then went to work for Green Spot Packaging as operations manager and was promoted to president. While at Greenspot Roger was honored by local and state officials as Employer of the Year for his compassion in hiring six physically and mentally disadvantaged individuals. When receiving the award he stated that he was inspired by these employees who often were more productive than other able-bodied employees. After retiring from Green Spot he was hired by Century 21 My Real Estate Co. as a Realtor and relocation specialist. He was a past president of the California Dairy Industry Association, a member of Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis, and active with the Downey Chamber of Commerce. Roger was known for his infectious smile, a great sense of humor and his contagious laugh. He always had time for his family and friends and will be missed by all who knew him and feel blessed to have been a part of his life. Roger is survived by his wife of 42 years Susan (Sue); son, Michael; daughter Tracey (Anthony) Marquez and grandchildren Jacob, Justin, and Ali; brother Tim as well as his extended family and many friends. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 13 at Calvary Chapel in Downey at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations may be made by mail to Arc, 12049 Woodruff Ave. Downey, CA 90241 or www.thearclaoc.org .

********** Published: April 11, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 52