Francis Roger Ringle

Francis Roger Ringle passed away on August 25, 2023, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, surrounded by his wife Olivia and two nieces, Gayle Richardson and Gloria Loveless. Roger was born in Independence, Kansas on November 14, 1935, to Lucille and Walter Ringle. After the early passing of Walter, Roger was blessed to be raised by his mother and Clifford Gordon. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, one son Scott (Heather), his sisters Marjorie Hampton (Bartlesville, OK) and Norma Talman (Cherryvale, KS) and four grandchildren, Olivia, Stephen, Lanie (Drew), and Zachary. Roger was preceded in death by his sister Vera Mae Hall, son Michael, and grandson Gage. After graduation from Independence High School, Roger joined the Navy in 1953. Basic training was in San Diego followed by yeoman school. After one year on Kwajalein Island in the South Pacific, he went to work in the Pentagon in Washington, DC in the Office of Naval Intelligence. He met Olivia in Washington, and they were married on August 25, 1957. In 1961, Roger was transferred to the American Embassy in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where the family lived for four years. This was followed by a transfer to the University of Kansas where he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer. The next transfer was to Taipei, Taiwan, where he served two and a half years in the American Defense Command. Roger was sent back to Washington, DC for six months of language school and then on to the American Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He managed to serve over 20 years in the Navy while never being separated from his family or spending time on a ship. Upon his retirement from the Navy in 1974, he moved back to Independence where he worked for the State of Kansas as a veteran’s representative and then as Supervisor in Human Resources. This was followed by a transfer to Dodge City, Kansas, where he worked for the next 20 years until the last retirement. He always said that he only had two jobs in his life. Roger was an avid tennis player all his life. He enjoyed playing cards, tolerated golf, was handy with the grill, proud Papa, and loved spending time with friends and family. Roger and Olivia retired to Florida and lived the good life there for many years before the move to Albuquerque to be closer to family. Funeral Service will be Monday, September 18, 2023, at 10:00AM, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church 5712 Paradise Blvd. NW. Burial will follow at 2:30PM at Santa Fe National Cemetery.