Roger Barton Pollander

Roger Barton Pollander – 80 passed away peacefully at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester on Friday evening, August 2, 2019. Born in Barre on June 24, 1939, he was the son of the late Jay and Ada (Miller) Barton. At the age of nine, Roger was adopted by Landon “Pete” O. Pollander and Beatrice C. (Trudo) Pollander.   Roger was a 1956 graduate of Waterbury High School and then continued his education at the University of Vermont, graduating in 1961 with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. While enrolled at UVM, Roger put himself through school working at the Burlington Red Cross. It is there that he met his life partner, Janet Tinker, who was employed as a medical technician. They were married on July 7, 1962 in Burlington.   Roger began his working career with the New York State Agency of Transportation employed as a Civil Engineer. With the prospect of being drafted to serve in Vietnam, Roger enlisted in the US Navy and was eligible for Officer Candidate School which he attended in Newport RI. Upon OCS graduation, he served his country at various stations both national and international and was honorably discharged into the Naval Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade.   Roger then went to work for Grumman Aircraft in Bethpage, NY where he was an engineer in research and development, and then later worked several years for Dravo Contracting Co. as a supply officer building the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant on Long Island Sound.   Moving to Waterbury in 1975, Roger was employed  for a number of years at IBM in Essex where he maintained and repaired equipment used to manufacture computer chip wafers. Following his retirement, Janet and Roger embarked on a number of trips, both regional and cross country, to visit family and to enjoy the vast variety of scenic beauty throughout the United States.   In retirement, as an avid animal lover, he followed his entrepreneurial dream by founding one of the first ever pet-sitting businesses, “VT Pet Watch”.  This allowed him to connect with many people in the community by caring for a variety of animals at their owners’ homes, a service which was greatly appreciated and a labor of love.   Roger was a member of the former Waterbury Lions Club, the Waterbury Volunteer Fire Dept., the Waterbury Recreation Committee, and coached Little League. He was also a longtime driver for the Waterbury Ambulance Service. A voracious reader Roger truly enjoyed the company of a good book and as an innate tinkerer, he was naturally gifted in fixing anything mechanical or electrical.   Roger is survived by his wife of 57 years, Janet T. Pollander of Waterbury Center; their children, Tracey L. Olson of Stowe, Mark S. Pollander of Malta, NY; a sister, Norma Wimble, as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. Roger was predeceased by a sister Leona Wheeler and a brother, John Barton.   A memorial reception will be held from the dining room at the Waterbury Congregational Church, 8 North Main Street, Waterbury on August 24, 2019 from 1 – 3 p.m. For those who wish, memorial gifts would be appreciated to North Country Animal League, 16 Mountain View Meadow Road, Morrisville, VT 05661 ( www.ncal.com ), or the Waterbury Ambulance Service, PO Box 95, Waterbury Center, VT 05677 ( www.waterburyambulance.org ).  Assisting the family is the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences please visit www.perkinsparker.com  or the funeral home Facebook page. To send a flower arrangement to the family of Roger Barton Pollander , please click here to visit our Sympathy Store .