Yellowstone County DUI Task Force Scholarship in Memory of Roger Gordon

Roger Wayne Gordon, born May 10, 1934, was a long-time resident of Billings and had a love for automobiles, a passion he would carry through his entire life; he first “borrowed” his Dad’s car at the age of nine. As a teenager, he loved to race cars at the various local tracks around Billings. He also loved the outdoors. As a young man, Roger spent a large portion of his summer vacations with his family at their cabin at East Rosebud Lake, where he helped build trails in the surrounding mountains.

Roger attended Senior High School as a member of the Class of 1952 and developed lifelong friendships with his many classmates. He attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, graduating in 1956. He married Alice Ann Engel that same year and then, in 1959, Roger and Alice moved back to Billings, where they raised three children together before divorcing. Then, in 1997, Roger married Carolyn Egeland, separating in 2004.

Roger spent most of his adult life in Billings. After honing his car sales skills at Lew Chevrolet, in the 1960s, Roger became a partner in, and eventually the sole owner of, Empire Motors. Roger was known to all as a great salesman and a loyal employer. He also cherished his many friendships and loved driving his convertible around the streets of Billings. Roger was an avid racing fan and, on many Sunday afternoons, could be found simultaneously watching two televisions, each on different stations, covering different races.

Roger faced many challenges in life but always tried to persevere and use his challenges as a means to help others. In 1945, he contracted polio and was hospitalized for a summer. Then, during Roger’s senior year in college, he lost a leg as a consequence of a skiing accident. Early in his adult life, Roger also developed a drinking problem. However, in 1974, with the help of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA), the support of his many close friends and his strong belief in Jesus, he achieved sobriety. This success remained among his greatest points of pride up to the time of his passing. Drawing from these experiences, Roger became an active member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, helped many other people achieve sobriety through AA and worked with the Yellowstone County Amputation Coalition to help others deal with the loss of an arm or leg. Roger also dedicated many years of service to the Yellowstone County DUI Task Force. He strongly advocated for prevention messages targeting the youth of our community. His is strong belief in Jesus Christ as his savior led him to witness to countless people; he was proud to say that he helped lead many friends to accept Jesus.

Roger passed away on May 30, 2018 at the age of 84.