Roger A. Sweet

ROGER A. SWEET, 79, passed away on April 1, 2026. He had been diagnosed with a rare muscle disease in 1996 which progressed slowly over the years. He battled his disease with grace and strength while not complaining and tried to live out each day to the fullest. Roger leaves behind the love of his life, partner of 35 years, and caregiver, Sylvia Kerrigan, and her son Barry (Adrian) Kerrigan and child Desiree; beloved brother of Sheryl Ann Sweet-Gusler (Duane), and the following deceased siblings: Frank “Sonny” Sweet and Joyce Sweet-Miller (Tim). Son of the late Frank and Dorothy Sweet. Loving uncle to Jackie Shrock (Mark), Craig Miller, Gail Miller-Shafer (Brian), Kristina Gusler-Stephens (David), Chad Gusler, and Nicholas Gusler (Ashley). Roger was a great uncle, great-great uncle, and a friend to so many. 

Roger grew up in Middlefield, Ohio, where he attended Cardinal Schools. He was a member of the National Honor Society and ran the mile for the track team. After high school, Roger attended Ohio State University graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree, later earning his master’s degree. He worked for 30 years in the Chardon school system teaching his passion, math! In his third year at Chardon, he was asked about starting a cross-country team for Chardon sports. Roger ran track but knew little about cross-country. Upon educating himself with books from the library about cross-country, Roger accepted the challenge and was named head coach. Roger’s coaching career saw many trips to state meets, even propelling the program to success after he retired. The same can be said for his Head Coaching position in track, where many students flourished in both track and cross-country under Coach Sweet’s influence. He invested a large amount of time and energy in his runners, instilling teamwork and a great work ethic. He was coach of the year several times. Roger’s coaching talents earned Chardon High School its first ever state championship title in boys cross-country in the 1972 season and again winning a state title with the girls cross country teams in 1978 and 1979 seasons, a major accomplishment for Roger, the members on the teams, and Chardon.

Roger loved sports and always kept an eye on all sports in every division. When his own great nieces and nephews entered sports, he was ever present, watching, cheering, and giving advice to improve upon their skills, and they did.

Roger was always active and loved to travel to Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach with Sylvia and family members. He loved being outdoors, bird and animal watching, and visiting with family and friends. He was a huge fan of Ohio State Football, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Cleveland Browns. He enjoyed playing golf and doing car trades for Spitzer after retiring. He will be missed by everyone he befriended.

Friends may call at the FERFOLIA FUNERAL HOME, 356 W. AURORA RD. (RTE. 82), SAGAMORE HILLS, FOR MEMORIAL VISITATION ON FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026, 2-4, AND 5-8 PM. All are invited for a memorial service at Parkside Church, 7100 Pettibone Rd, Chagrin Falls, on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to your local food bank as Roger frequently did.

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