Roger Durant died  Thursday, September 8, 2011, at the Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls. 

He was born February 15, 1920 in Long Beach, CA,  son of Deserie C.  and Esther E. Benoit Durant .. Roger married Rhoda (Ronnie) M. DeHaven on April 15, 1950 in Bethesda, Maryland.  They have resided in Maryland, Egypt, Hawaii, Florida, and Iowa.  

Roger served at Independent Medical Duty aboard USS SC 1045 and USS DD 693.  He was attached to the Fleet Hospital Guadalcanal, Pacific Acorn Units, Epidemic Disease Control Unit at Pearl Harbor, the Naval Medical Research Units at Cairo, Egypt, Bethesda, Maryland, and the Institute of Tropical Medicine at Guam.   Roger graduated from college in California, and was a 20-year Naval Veteran, followed by 12 additional years of Civil Service at the Naval Medical Research Insititute in Bethesda, Maryland.   His research produced co-authorship of 60 major scientific publications. He was a Life Member of the DAV, and served seven years as a volunteer at Waterloo VA Clinic. 

 After 32 years of combined Federal Service, Roger and Rhoda retired to Florida and later moved to Iowa. 

He is survived by his wife, Rhoda of Cedar Falls, son Richard (Marilyn) Durant, Glenwood, Maryland, son Douglas (Mary) Durant, Waterloo, grandchildren Dr. Melissa Durant (Mark) Cunningham, Kevin Durant, Dr, Laura (Ben) Elliott, Kyle (Ashleigh) Durant, and Michelle Durant.   In-laws Richard (Ethel) DeHaven, Bethesda, Maryland, Evelyn Thompson, Silver Spring, Maryland, and Lucille Phillips, Tigard, OR.

Memorials may be made to the Western Home Foundation or Walnut Ridge Baptist Church, Waterloo.