Roland Edwin Conner (“Rollie”), a longtime resident of Derry, NH, passed away on Wednesday, November 26. He was 81 years old. At the Elliot Hospital where he spent his final days, Rollie was dubbed a “gentle giant” and a “favorite patient” by the dedicated nurses who cared for him there.
By his family and friends who knew and loved him, he is remembered for his gentle manner, grand-master cribbage skills, perpetual love for Pinkerton Academy high-school basketball, unwavering hope in the next Red Sox and Patriots seasons, and his ever-present commitment to and generosity with his family. He met his final days with grace and good cheer, surprising the many family members gathered round him for the last time by turning to song. Famous for saying he can only “play the radio,” Rollie’s final moments included humming a bar of “Angel Band” and requesting and singing along with the Eagles classic “Take it Easy” which he indicated was meant for the concerned group gathered around him at the time–looking out for his family until the end.
Son of the late Carolyn (Langley) and Albert Conner and raised in Center Ossipee, NH, Roland is predeceased by his older brother, Donald Albert who passed away in 2022. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Susan Elaine (Hatt) Conner, and his two sons and their wives, Ryan Albert and Molly Conner of Swampscott, MA and Jarrett Barton and Erin Conner of Douglas, MA, as well as by his twelve grandchildren, Ben, Maggie, Finn, Anna, Jane, Madeline, Sophia, Joseph, Edith, Alexis, Philip, and Lucy, and one great-grandchild, Cecily, as well as dozens of longtime friends and neighbors from his many years living in the Derry area.
Rollie was a standout basketball player at Kennett High School in Conway, NH and later at UNH where he served as president of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, met his future wife (and top-notch bridge partner) Susan Hatt and graduated in 1967. He married Sue that same year.
He served as Lieutenant in the US Army from 1967-1969.
After leaving the military and after an epic cross-country road trip, Rollie and Sue settled in Derry, NH. There, Rollie was very involved in raising his two boys, often reading to them (from the newspaper or Time magazine). He coached all their youth sports teams, (so that Jarrett assumed all dads were coaches until he realized other players had dads who weren’t coaching for some reason).
A gifted and hardworking salesman, Rollie genuinely enjoyed talking to people and showing them how he could help solve their problems. He operated his own successful independent sales organization providing credit card processing services to merchants throughout the Northeast (with a surprising gift, it seemed, for supporting the Chinese food industry).
He helped host renowned annual Christmas parties with family, friends and neighbors, lots of classic food, and an inevitable sing-along. He shot a lot of hoops with his boys, grilled innumerable burgers, defended his bird-feeders from squirrels, played in (and won) countless cribbage tournaments, and watched all the best teams (always knowing this season would be The season). For many years (and long after Ryan and Jarrett had graduated), Rollie would attend most home and away games of the Pinkerton High School basketball team, likely earning the best attendance record for a fan that the school has ever seen.
His children and grandchildren will particularly remember many summer beach trips with Grampy, leaping waves, building castles, fishing, and playing cards for many years on the waterfront in Hampton, Salisbury, and Seabrook and eventually at Lake Manchaug in Douglas, MA. These were days and nights spent near the water filled with friendship, song, and laughter.
Rollie was a faithful supporter of Caregivers and The Upper Room in Derry. He particularly enjoyed buying Christmas presents for the Upper Room.
Throughout the years, he bestowed extravagant gifts–including his time, attention, love and support–on his wife, two boys, and twelve grandchildren. He led an exemplary life filled with generosity and quiet leadership, setting an example of a father’s unconditional love for his family to remember and emulate.
A remembrance event will be held December 14th at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Rd. Londonderry, NH. Guests are welcome from 3-5pm. The memorial event begins promptly at 4pm.