Mons Roll Obituary

Roll
Mons Richard
Roll
February 23, 1932
March 15, 2023

Mons Richard Roll
February 23, 1932 - March 15, 2023
Mons Richard Roll, 91, passed away peacefully on March 15th, 2023, surrounded by his wife and children. Mons was born in Stanton, Iowa to Richard and Esther Roll on February 23, 1932. He had one sibling, Janis, who was 6 years older. He grew up in a small Swedish community in Southwest, Iowa and attended grade school in the Stanton Community Schools. During World War II, his family moved to Bremerton, Washington where his father worked in the Naval shipyards. He had fond memories of his time spent in Bremerton and the thriving Swedish community of Stanton where he lived on an acreage and had his share of adventures.
Following graduation, Mons attended Red Oak Jr. College and then Northwest Missouri State where he received a B.S. in Industrial Arts/ Education. He had a dream of becoming a pilot and entered the Navy and Officers Candidate School in 1952. He married Mary Edine Fast, the love of his life (wife of 68 years), in 1954 and was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida. He was on active duty as a Navy pilot and officer from 1952-1956 and stationed in Iceland and Morocco during the Korean War. In 1972 Mons retired from the Naval Reserves as a Lieutenant Commander. After completing active duty in 1956, he attended graduate school at the Colorado State College of Education in Greeley, Colorado where he received an M.A. in Education.
Mons and his wife Mary settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1958 where he was employed as an industrial arts teacher for 30 years in District #11. He taught at East Jr High School but spent most of his teaching career at Mitchell High School where he taught a variety of industrial arts classes, ran the planetarium and introduced classes in aero science / aviation combining his love of flying and teaching.
Mons had a notable sense of adventure as demonstrated by his additional priorities of working as a patrolman on the Pikes Peak highway, repossessing of foreclosed aircraft, camping, rafting, travel and eventually building a family cabin by hand which was an immense gift to his family. He was the king of handymen and could build and fix anything he set his mind too. His garage was a fix -it station for the neighborhood kids.
He was a deeply devoted and involved father and grandfather and was adored by his children and grandchildren. You knew when you heard the grandkids giggles Papa was likely the cause. His sense of humor was appreciated by all his grandchildren and children. He is survived by his wife, Mary; children, David (Cathy) Roll of Englewood, CO, Bruce (Kimber) Roll of Beaverton, OR and Marla Roll of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren: Mons, Esther, Malia, Christine, Grace, and Hans as well as cousins, nephews, and nieces.
Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life and reception which will be held on April 15, 2023 at 2:00pm at First United Methodist Church, 420 N Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80903. Memorial donations can be made to FUMC United Women of Faith, FUMC John Wesley Ranch or plant a tree in Mons's memory at https://shop.arborday.org/commemorative-trees-in-memory. The service will also be streamed at www.fumc-cs.org/memorial-services-videos. Condolences and memories can be posted and viewed at https://obituaries.neptunesociety.com/obituaries/arvada-co/mons-roll-11214965