Roger William Sedmont Memorial

He was born February 24, 1945 in Newark, NJ. His middle name was in honor of our mom's father, William Wirth. At that time, we (Dad, Mom and me) lived on Mill Road in Irvington. Roger became very ill and almost died at around age 3. I remember waving to him from the sidewalk below his hospital window (no central A/C in those days). In 1946, we moved to #11 44th St. in Maplewood, just past the western boundary of Irvington. The fabulous late/great Olympic Amusement Park was located on the north side (chancellor Ave.) between 43rd St. and 40th St.; and on the south side by Boyden Ave. It was a huge park, and we often went there while we lived in Maplewood. At night, we could hear the park band playing in their pavilion near the 43rd St. area. Roger entered Seth Boyden Elementary School, Kindergarten in 1950. After his 6th grade there, we moved to 12 Crane Parkway in Cranford. That was our best family house! Roger attended grades 7-8 in Cranford Public Schools. Then he attended Seton Hall Preparatory School in South Orange which was then located on the campus of Seton Hall University. During his freshman and sophomore years there, he rode with me as I was attending SHU. We smoked cigarettes in my car and listened to pop music on the car's AM radio (FM was not yet available). Those were our closest years for togetherness! After those two years, I transferred to Rutgers University in New Brunswick, and Roger continued to commute to SHP with our mom. He was and excellent student. His grades were slightly better than mine during my two years at SHP…I received a partial from the State of N.J. to attend any college/university in N.J.; but Roger received a full scholarship to attend Seton Hall University. Sadly, he spent most of his year there playing cards in the student lounge. He dropped out after that year. In 1956-67, he lived in San Francisco in that infamous drug culture. He then returned to N.J. and married a very nice lady named Sonia. After a short time, she tired of his San Fran addictions and she left him. They had no children, and they divorced. Roger eventually overcame those addictions, and obtained an undergraduate degree from Rutgers.

Roger had a big heart and a big brain. He was an avid reader. He became a supporter of animal rights ad the Green Party. He voted for their candidates, including Ralph Nader for President. Roger became a vegetarian in 1988. That wasn't too hard to deal with; but then he decided that the ubiquitous gluten was to be avoided. That made it difficult to have him over for a meal, or to go out with him to a restaurant!

Roger and I loved the styling of the award winning 1953 Studebaker 2 door hardtop called the Starliner, and its sibling the 2-door coupe called the Starlight. In 1955 Studebaker debuted a halo car called the Speedster. It was a very fancy version of the Starliner. Only 2200 were ever made. In June of this year, I obtained on of the few remaining speedsters. Jacqui and Talal brought Roger to visit me on June 3, the day before my 83rd birthday. Roger loved the Speedster, and we had our picture taken standing next to it. Roger said he would love to ride in it. That never happened. So, after I get it painted, I plan to put a scatter urn on the front seat next to me and go for a drive!

Roger always tried to call and/or send cards to my 4 children and even some of my 11 grandchildren. Over the years, he called me many times to get their respective phone numbers and mailing addresses (he was always misplacing his "list")! He drove a delivery truck for Ritter; and after caring for our ailing Dad, he later worked at a US Postal Service Distribution Center somewhere west of his condominium in Turnersville, NJ. We both had the family affection for alcohol. We both ended up with COPD and A-Fib. On May 8 I received a heart pacemaker. On May 10, I called him and told him what I had gone through since May 2. That very evening, he decided to walk to the nearby Jefferson Hospital because he was not feeling well. He passed out and fell down while walking, and was then taken to the hospital via ambulance. He was there and in rehab for several weeks. He was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and was subsequently being treated for that. He called me last week and told me that his doctor said it was "looking good". He was again brought here on Nov. 24 (the day before Thanksgiving). I took all 7 of us out to eat. Roger sat next to me in the restaurant. We all had a grand time. Roger rode there and back to my house in my car. He stayed overnight and was taken back to his place on Thanksgiving morning by Art Jr. On Dec. 4, Art Jr. visited Roger and took him grocery shopping. While they were out, Roger showed Art Jr. where he habitually Jay-walked across Ganttown Rd. to get to the drug store. The next day, Dec. 5, he left a voice mail msg for me at about 4:10 PM. He said he wanted to go out before it got dark, and he would call again later to get the address of one of my granddaughters who had her 2nd son back in July. Sadly, he was hit by a vehicle while Jay-walking, and then had cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way to the hospital!

Roger was a member of my Nifty Fifties, Sizzlin Sixties, and Jus' Cruzin' Easy Clubs. He was my only sibling and I will always miss his company and his prolonged, intellectual phone conversations (he did most of the talking)! Before his passing, I encouraged him to repent of his sins and to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. I pray that he did, wo we can be together again in Heaven!

Capt. Arthur G. Sedmont Sr. (Ret.)

Loving Brother 12-10-24