Roger Milihram

Roger Frank Milihram, 89, of Boonsboro, MD passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at Somerford House in Hagerstown, MD.    He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 61 years, Carol Milihram in October 2018.  Born in August 1930 in Detroit, MI, he was the oldest son of the late Frank Milihram Sep 1990) and Lea Milihram (Oct 1988).  He was also preceded in death by his younger brothers, Norman Milihram (Jul 1977) and Julien Milihram (Feb 2016).  Roger lived his Catholic faith throughout his life, the way he was taught from the time he was young.  He and his parents and brothers moved from Detroit to Virginia in 1939 when his father was offered a job with the federal government.   They moved to Cabin John, MD in 1941 where he attended Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.  All the moving around Roger and his family did when he was younger left him trailing in his schoolwork and he did not graduate high school until he was 21, in 1951; however, he joined the Naval Reserves when he was just 18.  His first job was working as a soda jerk at People’s Drug Store on Massachusetts Avenue, but his first professional job was at Army Mapping in Bethesda, MD as a draftsman and photographer.  From there he moved on to David Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development Center (DTNSRDC), beginning as a draftsman and advancing into Research and Development as a model maker after he married U. Carol Cossavella in 1957 and they had their first child in 1958.  Roger had started building models at just 8 years old and that began his lifetime passion of building models of all types, including boats, planes, and helicopters, and his first four cars were used Cadillacs.  Even before getting married, he became an active builder of remote control (RC) models and joined the DCRC (District of Columbia Remote Control) Club. As their family grew, Roger was involved in church activities at St. Jane de Chantel in Bethesda as well as the Boy Scouts until he moved his family of 8 to Boonsboro, MD in western Maryland in 1974.  He and Carol were both active parishioners at St. James Catholic Church for over 40 years, with Roger serving on the Parish Council and other committees.   In addition, he was active in other local groups like the Farm Bureau, Pigeon Club, Catholic Golden Age, Catholic War Veterans, and the Knights of Columbus Pangborn Council where he held a variety of offices within the organizations. Continuing his passion of model making, he joined the Frederick Model Aircraft Club and eventually the Pegasus R/C Flying Club in Hagerstown and was a lifetime member of the American Modelmakers Association.   Roger retired from DTNSRDC in 1985 after 30 years of government service but went back to work part time in the early 1990’s as a parking garage attendant for Washington County Hospital.  He continued to support his club interests, including fundraising for the Knights of Columbus and participating in the annual Veteran’s Day parade.  Roger was also an avid supporter of donating blood and was very proud of his 60+ years of donating to the American Red Cross. He is survived by six children:  Michael Milihram and wife, Kathye, Christopher Milihram and wife, Lisa, Lawrence Milihram and wife, Elizabeth, Nina Fincham and husband, James, Valerie McCumsey and husband, Bradley, and Karen Seabright and husband, Joel; twelve grandchildren:  Trevor Milihram, Cody Milihram, Frank Milihram, Luke Milihram, Branda Yeargan and husband, Thomas, Kacie McCumsey, Zachary McCumsey, Nicholas McCumsey, Lea McCumsey, Kimberly Seabright, Katrina Seabright, John Seabright; two great-grandchildren, Lilly and Leah Yeargan; and various cousins, nieces, and nephews.  The family will receive friends and family at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020 at St. James Catholic Church, 121 N. Main Street, Boonsboro, MD.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at the church in Boonsboro with Father John J. Jicha as Celebrant.  Private burial will take place following Mass at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Silver Spring, MD.  Donations in Roger’s honor may be made to Alzheimer’s research, Hospice of Washington County, or any Catholic charity of your choice. For all those who may be at risk for complications in the event they come in contact with COVID-19, please do not attend.