Established in January of 2016, with a gift from Roger and Carol Ober. Eligible recipients are all undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Engineering who are not first-year students.
Remembrance written by Carol Ober, September 2023
The Ober family
Roger and I met in the Fall of 1966 at the University of Michigan. I was in my junior year, majoring in special education. He had graduated from Ohio State University in May of that year with a degree in Physics Engineering. He had come to the University of Michigan on a fellowship to study nuclear engineering. He earned his Masters in 1967 and I graduated in Spring of 1968. We were married in May of that year. We stayed in Ann Arbor while Roger started work on a Phd. But he decided he wanted to get out into the “real world” and work. He took a job with a power company in Michigan that was building a nuclear power plant. After four years of sitting behind a desk, he wanted a change and applied to veterinary school at Michigan State. He was accepted and spent four years earning the degree that would be his life vocation. After his graduation, we ended up in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton. He started his own veterinary practice, where he worked for 38 years. We adopted two sons – Eric and Matt. I taught school and helped at the veterinary clinic.
Although Roger attended and graduated from two other Big Ten schools, his heart always remained at OSU. Because I was still a Michigan football fan, we were a “house divided”, but it was only a concern on one weekend in November. As the boys grew up, Eric became a Michigan fan with me and Matt was loyal to OSU. We continue to be a “house divided.”
In 2011, Roger suffered a major stroke which affected only his speech. He continued to own and run his veterinary practice but would not see patients or do surgery. In 2014, he decided to sell it, because he realized he would never go back to practicing as in the past and we had a buyer. I also retired and we spent several years traveling to places like China, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Israel, the western and eastern US, and Canada. In the meantime, we set up this endowment for students like you.
In 2018, Roger was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he passed away in 2020, after a courageous battle with the disease. He loved the Lord and worked right up to the end, helping others, and living out his faith. My sons and I are so grateful that we decided to create this endowment, as it has become a living memorial to Roger and all that OSU meant to him. We have thoroughly enjoyed receiving your letters in January and meeting you at the Spring luncheon. Study hard and we will look forward to seeing you in April.