Roger A. Gaio

Roger Albert Gaio, age 93, died peacefully on December 31 at Madonna Living Community surrounded by his family. He will be remembered for his quiet manner, sharp wit and deep love of his family. Roger was born June 14, 1926 in Brooklyn, NY to Ruggero and Mary Gaio, the second of two children, where he lived and worked until enlisting in the Army Air Corp in 1944 at age 18. His military service eventually took him to Hawaii where he was stationed at multiple airfields on the islands attaining the rank of technical sergeant and P-51 crew chief. After the war, Roger joined IBM working in a manufacturing facility in Poughkeepsie, New York. In 1953, he married Margaret Giordano. They had three children, Roger, Audrey and David. In 1957, the family moved to Rochester, MN where he was one of the early employees of the new IBM facility there, a move he recalls as one of the best decisions of his life. He worked for IBM for 40 years, retiring in1987. In retirement, he became an avid sailor, owning a boat at the Lake City Marina. In 1990, Roger was remarried to Barbara Walch Christensen. He and Barb hosted many excursions with family and friends on Lake Pepin and enjoyed the comradery of the boating community. They also camped and traveled the country in an RV. Roger was a born craftsman, woodworker and mechanic. He collected tools from an early age and spent endless hours in his workshop leaving a legacy of handcrafted creations for which he will be long remembered. Roger is survived by his wife Barbara, three children, Roger (JoAnn), Audrey Johnston (Eric) and David (Danae), and stepdaughter Lisa Voit (Tim), twelve grandchildren, Nicole, Erika, Andrea, Michael, Natalie, Alyssa, Maureen, Amanda, Jordan, Taylor, Marissa, Jayme and eight great-grandchildren. A celebration of Roger's life will be held this Sunday, January 5, at the Ranfranz & Vine Funeral Home, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN with visitation at 11:30 a.m. followed by the service at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mayo Clinic or a charity of your choice are preferred. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes is honored to be serving the Gaio family. To leave a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com