Final Salute

Roger McBain, 73, enjoyed a largely unplanned life blessed with loads of good fortune, occasional adventure, and a remarkable family. He died October 18, 2023, at Linda E. White Hospice House, surrounded by his dear ones. Born Roger Lynn Gutierrez on November 4, 1949, he grew up in Long Beach, California, adopting his stepfather’s last name at age 10.

Roger worked as a carpenter and journalist in the U.S. Navy Seabees from 1968 to 1972, stationed on the Midway Atoll in the Pacific; in Coronado, California; and in Rota, Spain. He earned degrees from Mesa College in San Diego and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he met Jo Ann Learman. They launched their lives together there on August 15, 1978, formally marrying exactly seven years later in Pipersville, Pennsylvania. In 1985, Roger’s job with the Evansville Press brought them to southwestern Indiana, where their children, Carson and Austen, were born and raised.

Over his career Roger wrote for newspapers in California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. He also freelanced for news, bicycling, music, and theater publications, often relying on Jo for copy editing and collaboration. He retired from daily journalism in 2014 after three decades as arts and culture writer for the Evansville Courier & Press. Roger’s career fulfilled lifelong passions for traveling, engaging with thoughtful, creative people, and collecting and sharing their stories. He was a natural interviewer, good listener, and born storyteller like his beloved grandfather, “Grumpy.”

Extended travels, alone and with his family, took him to dozens of cities in North America, Central America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia. He loved outdoor activities like snorkeling and cross-country skiing, but bicycling was his passion. To celebrate retirement, at age 65 he pedaled an overloaded vintage bicycle down the Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico on a six-week, self-supported, 1,800-mile tour, where he developed a strong and lasting friendship with his German “bike brother,” Wolfgang Gebhard.

Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy following a 2018 diagnosis of metastasized renal cancer gave Roger bonus years to more fully appreciate the richness of his life with Jo, Carson and Austen, as well as treasured friendships around the globe. In a burst of uncharacteristic planning, Roger choreographed his final weeks by informing family and friends of his upcoming “deadline” and deeply enjoyed the visits, calls, and emails that followed. He said it was like attending his own funeral, getting to hear what he’d meant to many important people from his life, tell them what they’d meant to him, and say goodbye.

Roger leaves a legacy of inextinguishable love and appreciation for his wife, Jo Ann Carole Learman (Evansville); their children, Carson Learman McBain (Arlington, Virginia) and Austen Learman McBain (Tokyo, Japan); and his sister, Kate Martin (Durango, Colorado). Surviving siblings from his mother’s second marriage include Reymon McBain (Acton, California), Scott McBain (Hesperia, California), and Robin McBain (Portland, Oregon); and a stepsister, Mary Turco (San Diego, California).

A memorial celebration will be held at a future time.

Posted online on October 26, 2023