Hebern Pilcher Roller

Hebern Pilcher Roller was born in Rock island, Tennessee to Charlie and Virgi Mai Roller on December 18, 1935. He graduated from McMinnville High School in 1953. He married Marjorie Ann Sharrock in December of 1953. He enlisted in the Marines in February 1954. After attending Basic training at Paris Island, South Carolina and attending several training schools, he became a crew chief on the F9-5 Panther jet aircraft. After several Marine assignments stateside, he left the Marines to join the Army and pursue his childhood dream of flying. His first and second children, Pam and Rick, were born in 1955 and 1960. His first Army tour of duty was to Libya, Africa with the Base Topographic Army Map Service in 1961-62. He returned to the States and attended Flight school in Ft. Walters, Texas and was sent to Vietnam in 1965. There he served by flying the UH-1 “Huey” helicopter and it was also where he earned the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in battle. After returning from Vietnam, he divorced in 1966 and was then assigned to a post in Nuremburg, Germany. During that time, he met and married Christa Prokscha on January 3, 1968. He served a final tour in Korea in 1968-69 and returned to the States to his final Army post of Fort Rucker, Alabama. His third and fourth children, Wendy and Olivia, were born in 1973 and 1975. He retired from the Army at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 in April of 1974 after 20 years of military service. After retirement he remained at Fort Rucker working for multiple private contractors as an instructor pilot for the Primary division of the Fort Rucker Flight School for another 23 years. He taught students from all around the world that “takeoff was optional, but landing was mandatory.” He retired a second time in 1997 and enjoyed almost 20 years of training Border Collies, sheepdog trialing and traveling. His hobbies and travel slowly came to a halt with the onset of dementia and then Alzheimer's and in 2015 he entered the Floyd “Tut” Fann Veterans Home in Huntsville, Alabama and under their care and that of his wife of 53 years, Christa, he spent his last years in comfort among the “old soldiers” as he always said was his wish. Hebern passed away peacefully on January 28, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bobby Earl Roller, his stepbrother Ronald Mitchell and his stepfather Mark Mitchell. He is survived by his wife Christa and his 4 children Pam, Rick (Linda), Wendy and Olivia (Christy); as well as 4 grandchildren, Matthew (Lesley), William (Laura), Marygrace, Anna and 2 great-grandchildren, Matti and Addox. A private memorial will be held at Searcy Funeral Chapel in Daleville, Alabama. In lieu of flowers please donate in his honor to Heifer International or to the Alabama 4-H Foundation. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Hebern Pilcher Roller, please visit our flower store.