Obituary for Roger Annabel

Roger Annabel was born Feb. 15, 1954 in Flint, Mich. He passed away Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 in Phoenix, Ariz.
Due to his mother’s medical issues, before he was 10 years old Roger became a foster child.
At 18 he joined the Marines and shipped off for his tour of duty in Vietnam. After his tour he lived in Hawaii for 10 years, then moved to Arizona.
In 1984 he met the love of his life, Darla, at Mickey’s Restaurant in east Mesa.
Roger and Darla both worked for Perkins Restaurants in the Valley. Darla logged 17 years with them and Roger 15. Around the year 2000 they learned that the Perkins restaurant chain was closing down, so they needed to plan their next move. Payson had always been their getaway retreat … so they decided to come up to Payson to look for a restaurant to purchase. As a result, they purchased the Crosswinds Restaurant at the Payson Airport.
In 2005, Roger and Darla also purchased the Knotty Pine Restaurant and had daughter Valerie and her husband Jeremy move to Payson to help them run the two restaurants.
Roger loved the fact that in Payson you could still do a deal on a handshake while looking someone straight in the eye. That desire and focus on honesty and integrity was very important to Roger.
Roger and his wife Darla were former members of the original Optimist club of Payson. They furnished food for an untold number of events and special needs in town. From turkeys handed out during the holidays, special food assistance for local events and much more. His daughter Valerie says, “He was always helping out someone.” Much of that was done quietly behind the scenes with no need for acknowledgment or fanfare. It was just simply the kind of guy Roger was.
Roger started life with almost no family, but over the years his family became huge, including all of Rim Country.
Roger is survived by his wife, Darla Annabel; son, Joseph Rogers (wife June); and daughter, Valerie Bolin (husband Jeremy); grandchildren Ross and Joselyn Rogers, and Elora, William, David, Dillon and Natalie Bolin; mother-in-law, Emily Gore; and brother-in-law, Jay Wisemon.
All are invited to a celebration of Roger’s life that will be held at 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19 in the reception hall at Messinger Payson Funeral Home. The gathering will be informal, as that is how Roger would have wanted it (blue jeans and boots recommended).