Obituary: Rodger Arola

As received from the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home:

Rodger Arola, 84, a resident of Stanton Township passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday December 19, 2021.

He was born on October 23, 1937 to Arthur and Edith (Hansen) Arola in Laurium. He attended the local schools and graduated from Calumet High School with the Class of 1955.He served in the U.S. Navy for two years active and six years in the Naval Reserve.

On August 27, 1960, he married Nancylu Olds in Calumet.

He graduated from Michigan Technological University with a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering in 1963, and a Master’s degree in Engineering Mechanics in 1964 and was a member of Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi Honor fraternities. He was a graduate assistant in the Engineering Mechanics Dept of MTU from June of 1963 to December of 1964.

In 1965 he began working for the U.S. Forest Service for 30 years, retiring in 1994. While with the Forest Service, he traveled extensively in the U.S. and Europe. In 1978 under the U.S./USSR Science and Technology Exchange Program, he headed a two man delegation to study mechanization in the USSR and was the principal author of an extensive report to the State Department. He was detailed as a harvesting expert to the Institute for Pacific Islands Forestry in Hawaii to analyze harvesting of eucalyptus plantations for energy wood. He was assigned as an Exchange Scientist to the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences in Garpenberg, Sweden for 15 months in co-operation with Norway, Finland, and Denmark.

In 1986 he received a USDA Superior Service Award for creativity in developing new technology for the advancement in forest harvesting and management presented to him in Washington DC by the Secretary of Agriculture. He influenced the initiation of international research and his accomplishments along with over 50 publications and presentations has earned his respect as a world authority in his field by his peers.

In his spare time, Rodger enjoyed dancing with his wife Nancy, woodworking, carving, hunting, fishing, golfing with his friends, and sailing with Nancy and his dog Impi.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, several cousins in the Hansen and Arola families, his brother-in-law Gary (Gale) Olds in O’Fallen, IL, two nieces and one nephew, Kristen (Brad) Oster, Greta (Jason) Bohnenstiehl, Benjamin (Brianne) Olds and their children Abigail and Alexis Oster, Alex and Carter Bohnenstiehl and Penelope and Leni Olds.

Per Rodger’s request, cremation has taken place and a private graveside service will take place in the spring at the Lake View Cemetery. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be sent to the Copper Country Humane Society in Rodger’s Name.

Nancy would like to thank her family, very special life long friends, and her neighbors for their help and assistance during Rodger’s progressive dementia and sudden death.

Online condolences for the family may be left at www.ericksoncrowleypeterson.com

The Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet is assisting the family with the arrangements,