Obituary of Roger Darcy Pillman
Roger Pillman of Red Deer, Alberta, passed away at the Red Deer Regional Hospital on December 25th, 2024, at the age of 82.
Roger was born in Edmonton in the April of 1942, and grew up on the family farm in the Beaver District north of Castor. He barely finished his grade eight to get a job as a gravel checker rather than going to school. From there he went on the driving grader. While building roads near Picture Butte, he met Dianne Passmore and they were married in 1965. They raised three children, Kim, Sandra, and Robin. From driving grader and snowplough, he transferred to painting the exterior of schools in the Castor area. He apprenticed through NAIT, and received his Journeyman Painter and Decorator certificate in June of 1974. He was soon painting houses and started working in construction to learn how to tape drywall. He opened a Benjamin Moore paint store in Castor.
In 1971, Roger rode his first snowmobile and was hooked. He taped, painted, and fixed snowmobiles by day, and rode snowmobiles by night. He started hosting corn roasts each fall to show appreciation to his customers and hosted them for over 40 years. He started the Castor Snowmobile Club and assisted with the start up of many other snowmobile clubs. He was also active in the Alberta Snowmobile Association and International Snowmobile Congress which took him to many provinces and states attending meetings and riding. He was a strong advocate of recreational trail snowmobiling and received many international awards for his advocacy, including an induction into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame.
In 1990, Roger moved to Camrose, and then again to Red Deer, and continued to expand his painting and drywalling skills. In August of 1994, he married Lorraine Burke at a corn roast.
Roger became a renowned painter and taper in new home construction, working for Trueline Construction, Kallis Homes, and other new home builders in Central Alberta. There were many clients who insisted that only he could do their repaints and renovations. There was nothing he couldn’t fix with his hock and trowel and then mix and match the colours for a stunning finish.
Roger leaves to mourn his wife, Lorraine; children Kim, Sandra Isbister (Jay Watson); Robin LaGrange (Terence); step-daughters Lorrie Danielson (Trevor Hadiuk), and Nicole Murray (Pat Andreone); half brother Ray Caouette (Terry); half sisters Jeannette Johnson (Brian Bouckaert), and Annette Howie (Bryon); grandchildren Philip Harrison (Amanda), Colin LaGrange (Kiya), Ethan LaGrange (Sydnie), Riley LaGrange (Rayan), Bria O’Connor, Breanne Borysiuk (Austin), Sarah Danielson; great grand daughter Audrey Harrison; and by many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
A celebration of Roger’s life will be held on January 5, 2024, 1:00PM, at the Festival Hall, 4214 58 Street, Red Deer, AB. ATV’ers are encouraged to wear their colours!
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Roger may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Red Deer Lending Cupboard or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Condolences to Roger’s family may be emailed to meaningful@telus.net. Please indicate “Pillman” in the subject line.
Arrangements in care of
Meaningful Memorials Funeral Service
A locally owned cremation and funeral provider
serving Red Deer and all of Central Alberta
587-876-4944