Roger Harold Michael M.D.

Portland – Roger Harold Michael M.D. passed away comfortably and peacefully at home on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at the age of 94, with his family and a hospice nurse by his side. Advanced heart disease was the cause of death. Roger was born in Hampton, IA on December 31, 1930; his parents were the late Harold and Ruth (Velander) Michael, a minister and teacher.

Roger met his wife, Janet at Oberlin College in 1952 where they were both students and then Roger went on to study medicine at Case Western Reserve and then on to his residency at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. There was a brief, 2-year, timeout during his medical training when he was deployed to a M.A.S.H. hospital in Bussac, France as an Army medic.

Roger first practiced Orthopedic Medicine in Fremont, California, and later went to Baltimore to teaching positions at The University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins, And Union Memorial Hospital. As director of the Orthopedic Residency Program at Union Memorial he and Dr. William Howard established the first hospital-based department of Sports Medicine in Baltimore. Research on Osteoporosis and innovations in Sports Medicine were two of Roger’s areas of expertise.

Roger began an adventurous retirement in 1995 at the age of 65. He and Janet travelled extensively. He was able to enjoy his many hobbies which included biking, woodworking, gardening, portrait painting, sailing, pottery, and any project that he could work on with his grandchildren.

In 2021 Roger and Janet moved to Portland, Maine to live with their daughter, Juli and grandson Kelen, and to be closer to their family home on Lake Cobbosseecontee in Manchester, Maine.

Roger was predeceased by his siblings, Keith and Judith. He leaves behind his wife of 66 years, Janet (Gracia) Michael; his 4 children, Marcy, Mark and his wife Margarita Prieto, Eric and his husband Craig Kruger, and Juli; six grandchildren, Anna and Cameron Sullivan, Olivia, Felisa, Elena, and Kelen Michael; sister, Nancy; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins on both sides of his family.

A Celebration of Life service is planned for early summer when family and friends can gather and share their memories and affection for such a talented, loving man.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends and family donate to their local hospice organization.