Services to honor and celebrate the life of Roger Hadicke will be 11:00 am Friday, March 18, 2022 at South Tulsa Baptist Church.

Roger Lee Hadicke was born October 8, 1937, in Wichita, Kansas. He grew up and went to school there, graduating high school in 1956. Roger had worked part-time jobs all throughout high school, the last job being at an aircraft instrument laboratory. He had always been interested in aircraft and managed to secure a job with Rohr Aircraft Co. in Chula Vista, California and moved there in late 1956.

Roger’s job at Rohr was a design draftsman in the engineering department. He continued his education by taking college courses in aircraft engineering. He worked on military aircraft designs and secured a top-secret security clearance. He was always proud of the fact that his name could be found on drawings for numerous sections of the B52 bomber as well as other military projects. While in California, Roger lived in a tiny apartment near the beach. He enjoyed water skiing, scuba diving, and learning to sail small boats. He also enjoyed driving his MG sports car in races and road rallies.

As work on military aircraft slowed, Roger decided to move back to Wichita. There, he took a position as a field engineer for Burroughs Corporation. That job took him to Alva, Oklahoma and eventually Ponca City. While in Ponca City, Roger left Burroughs and began his own insurance agency. It was also where he met and married the love of his life, Tricia Brown. His world was changed forever, and he was blessed for it.

Roger had always been an avid hunter and fisherman. A few months after he and Tricia were married, he went pheasant hunting in Kansas with some long-time buddies. When he returned nearly a week later, without bathing or shaving, it was a close call whether Tricia was going to let him back in the house! The first time he took her fishing and she learned live worms were involved, it became obvious this was not going to be an activity to do together. Roger always teased Tricia about being a city girl and often said that her idea of camping was going to a Holiday Inn.

Playing golf was something Roger enjoyed, and Tricia quickly took a liking to the game. She soon became very proficient and was the better player of the two. She won many championships and Roger was her biggest fan. They had a mutual everlasting love of the game and it provided endless hours of pleasure together on the course throughout the years.

Roger eventually sold his insurance agency and began working in marketing and management in the insurance business. He was transferred several times and the job took him to several states, always with Tricia by his side, offering her love, support, and encouragement along the way.

They shared many adventures during the years and Tricia often said she would like to write a book called “The Adventures of Bud and Sis”. The title being an inside joke between the two of them.

Raised in the church, Roger considered himself a Christian, but Tricia knew there was more to being a true Christian, and it was she who finally led him to being a devout follower of Jesus. He was baptized for a second time at Parkway Place Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, where they were living.

Roger and Tricia returned to Oklahoma, settling in Tulsa in 1991. Roger went back into business for himself and formed an insurance brokerage, Risk Management Associates, Inc., which he ran for the last 15 years of his career. He retired in 2013 after a 50-year career.

Practically inseparable, where you could find one, the other was likely nearby. Roger and Tricia built their marriage on the true foundations of love of God and an undying love for one another. Tricia passed away in April 2019, and Roger’s life was shattered. A blow in which he could never recover, Roger treasured the love and support from his family and friends, but always dealing with a sadness for the rest of his days.

Now, it is easy to imagine him finally happy again, reunited with his true love, Tricia. They are walking hand in hand along the paths of Heaven, just as they did in life.

Roger passed away March 9, 2022. Those he leaves behind are his children: Kenny and Cindy Slavik and John and Julie Slavik; stepchildren, Becky and Rick Huff, and Steve and Jan Gandy; sister, Jill Morris; and his much-loved grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Although most were unaware of Roger’s enjoyment of poetry. Favorite writings would be from Rudyard Kiplin, Robert Frost, and Robert Louis Stevenson. If he were here today, Roger would probably paraphrase one of Stevenson’s best known in this manner:
“Home is the hunter, home from hill.
And the sailor, home from the sea.
But do not shed tears of grief for him.
For he is where he longed to be.”