Roger Wayne Hollingsworth

November 24, 1932 – December 12, 2024 – Roger was born in Nebraska to Wava and Wayne Hollingsworth, before eventually finding his permanent home in Oregon, where the family planted roots in Damascus.

He met his beloved wife Elizabeth in school before joining the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and shipping off to Boston, while she remained in Oregon and attended nursing school at Lewis and Clark college. They maintained a long-distance relationship for two years, exchanging many letters. In one of these letters, he proposed and she accepted. Upon his return to Oregon, they were married on Halloween 1954 and had three children together in the following years.

After his naval service, Roger worked in banking for 25 years, and was a member of the Milwaukie, OR planning commission as well as the Milwaukie JayCees. In 1969, Roger and Elizabeth opened their wholesale nursery, The Plantsmen, in Damascus. Roger owned and operated the nursery for 34 years. During that time, he served as President of the Oregon Association of Nurseries (formerly Oregon Association of Nurserymen) and won multiple OAN awards. He touched a multitude of lives with his horticultural gifts, teaching many how to care for plants and the soil in which they grow.

Roger and Elizabeth remained happily married for 63 years, until Elizabeth passed away in 2017.

During their time together, they were avid campers as well as world travelers, visiting many countries including France, the UK, and New Zealand. When not working or traveling abroad, they enjoyed treating the family to Oregon Coast vacations.

Family and friends will fondly remember Roger’s way with words, sense of humor, and quick wit. Roger is survived by his sister, remaining daughter and son, as well as his five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, (and his dog Gus) by whom he will be missed immensely.

A Memorial Service will be held from 2 to 4 pm on Saturday February 8, 2025 at Damascus Community Church 14251 SE Rust Way Damascus, OR 97089. The family requests contributions be made in his memory to Providence Milwaukie Foundation or to the Damascus Community Church.