Obituary for Marion Roche

Roche, Marion C. 98

Ocala-- Marion C. Roche of Ocala, FL passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Sunday, July 11, 2010. Mr. Roche was born in Walton County, Florida April 3, 1912. He has resided in Ocala since 1936. After graduating from the University of Florida with a B.S. Degree in Agriculture Education, he came to Ocala and started the first agriculture program at Ocala High School in 1936. He was the agriculture teacher at Ocala High School from 1936-1963. In 1963, he became the Director of Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education for the Marion County School Board and served with distinction from 1963-1988. He worked 52 years in education in Marion County and retired at age 75 in 1988.
Mr. Roche served as Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy 1942-1945. He also has been a successful businessman as a citrus and pine tree farmer since 1963.
Mr. Roche was a member of the First Baptist Church in Ocala for many years.
He was preceded in death by his wife of sixty-five years, Virginia (Pat) Roche, daughters Linda R. Harmon, Jean R.Conley, and granddaughter Elizabeth Crace.
Survivors include two daughters, Sharon Roche Pederson (Wally), Ocala and Judy R. Crace (Sam), Cookeville, TN. Five grandchildren- Scott Conley (Cara), Bowling Green, KY, Josh Crace (Beth), Cookeville, TN, Ben Crace (Amy), Cookeville, TN, Cason Whitaker (Joey), Ocala, Rebekah Lorton (Cody), Knoxville, TN, and 12 great-grandchildren. Also recently bereaved son-in-law, Paul Conley.
Mr. Roche was noted for his dedicated efforts in promoting agriculture education and his passion for vocational, technical, and adult education.
Visitation will be at First Baptist Church, 2801 SE Marricamp Rd, Ocala on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 from 5:00PM to 8:00PM. Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:00AM. Interment will follow in Highland Memorial Park.
Memorable donations may be made to the Florida FFA Foundation, Inc. 5000 Firetower Road, Haines City, FL 33844.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Longtime county educator dead at 98
Marion Roche taught agriculture and was the county's first director of vocational, technical and adult education

By Carlos E. Medina, Correspondent


Very early on, Marion Roche realized agricultural education instills skills and reinforces attitudes that make students successful adults.
Roche, who began teaching agriculture in 1936 at Ocala High School, and who was one of the last surviving founders of the annual Southeastern Youth Fair, died Sunday at his home. He was 98.
During his 52 years as an educator in Marion County, he taught hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in agriculture and business.
"In his classroom, he taught a curriculum that prepared students with lasting lifetime skills," wrote local cattle rancher Leroy Baldwin in his nomination of Roche to the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005.
Baldwin, who was one of Roche's students, was himself inducted to the hall of fame in 1995 for his work in the cattle business. Another of Roche's students, Thomas Barber Jr., was inducted into the hall in 2004 for his contributions to Florida's watermelon and peanut industries.
"To have two former students in the Florida hall of fame is quite a statement for his teaching ability," said Don McCormick, former director of Marion County's vocational, technical and adult education program.
"When you get ag in your blood, you can become the president of the United States, but you still have ag in your blood," McCormick said. "That was true for Marion, and he tried to instill that in his students."
During Roche's nearly 30 years at Ocala High School, he helped form an agriculture curriculum that included business theory, public speaking, parliamentary procedure and writing.
"Those who took ag as a 'crip' course found out that is was not an easy course under Marion," said Paul Conley, Roche's son-in-law. "He would take a bunch of boys - only boys took agriculture back then - and made farmers out of a bunch of them."
In 1963, Roche left Ocala High and became the county's first director of vocational, technical and adult education. He served in that post until his retirement in 1988.
He continued with his agricultural roots, tending to an orange grove and raising pine trees on property in Marion County.
Roche was born in 1912 and was raised on a dairy farm. When he went to the University of Florida he planned to be a geography teacher and hoped to leave the hard work of the farm behind.
"He bummed a ride home from someone who worked with the Veterans Administration in Gainesville and during the trip, this man convinced him that he should be an agriculture educator," said McCormick, who took over Roche's post when he retired. "He started in ag and that is where he stayed."
During his time at Ocala High School, Roche took charge of the local Future Farmers of America chapter and started entering his students in competitions across the state and country. Roche led his team to many wins, which depended on speaking ability, reasoning and formulating cogent analyses of natural processes.
He was inducted to the Florida Future Farmers of America Hall of Fame in 2007 and was also honored as one of the inaugural inductees to the Marion County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2003.
The only time Roche was not actively involved in agriculture was during his service in World War II. Roche served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945, and left with the rank of lieutenant commander.
A longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Ocala, he was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Virginia Roche, as well as two daughters, Linda Harmon and Jean Conley.
Survivors include daughters Sharon Roche Pederson, Ocala, and Judy R. Crace, Cookeville, Tenn., as well as five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held today from 4 to 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Funeral services will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Highlands Memorial Park.