Roger L. Gavan, a longtime resident of Warwick, passed away on March 22, 2025. He was 89 years old.
Born in New York City on Jan. 1, 1936, he was the son of John and Virginia (Sugrue) Gavan.
Roger grew up in the Riverdale section of the Bronx where he attended St. John’s Elementary School and Cardinal Hayes High School.
He was a longtime member in good standing of American Legion Post 214 in Warwick.
Roger graduated from Manhattan College in 1958 with a Bachelor’s Degree and was enrolled in the ROTC program. He entered the Air Force as an Active-Duty 2nd Lieutenant Reserve Officer. He soon after earned a regular commission and was then promoted to Captain.
Soon after he entered the Air Force, he started flying T34, T28 propeller planes and eventually the T33 Jet plane.
He trained as a Radar Navigator and a Bombardier Navigator and in October 1962 remained on airborne alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis flying B52G bombers.
Though he had his private pilot’s license when he entered the military, once out of the service, he trained again at Fischer Aviation and acquired a commercial pilots’ license, a multi-engine rating and an instrument rating and flew a variety of recreational small planes.
He owned and rebuilt a Seaplane 180 and was also part owner of a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron that he flew out of Teterboro Airport.
He was co-owner of a Subaru Dealership in Hackensack, N.J. for a few years and then became sales Mmanager at Porsche Audi Manhattan for seven years before he started his own automobile leasing business in the City.
In 1991, at the age of 55, he decided to relocate the leasing business from Manhattan where he was commuting daily from Warwick for five years, to work from home so that he could spend more time with his then 5-year-old son Sean.
The following year, 1992, he started writing part time for The Warwick Advertiser.
Roger, an avid reader, had always been known to have a talent for writing humorous and insightful stories and had been a writer for his college newspaper.
The rest is history. He started out doing evening board meetings, then a series of stories on local personalities in a column appearing called Our Interesting Neighbors then went on to write The Business Notebook, a weekly column on local businesses/merchants.
What followed was a long, notable and highly respected journalistic career of 35-plus years that evolved into a written and photographic historic documentary of the Warwick community through its merchants, businesses, nonprofits, farms, veterans, historians, community events and that, most importantly, highlighted so many of its amazing residents.
Roger was a very humble man, whose primary focus was to write a competent and professional article/column that would benefit merchants and businesses in the town and help them succeed. He never sought any recognition. He did not realize how loved and respected he was by the Warwick community and the impact his diligence and hard work had on the beautiful, small rural town and village of Warwick that he so loved and literally pretty much put on the map!
Always diligent at having the facts correct and finding the most positive, interesting and personal side of the subject for the story, he gained many accolades over the years from so many who appreciate his efforts and his insights in his writings.
He was proud to say he had met, interviewed and spent time with so many widely known entertainers, celebrities, politicians, educators and well-traveled personalities, but none more interesting to him than the old-time Warwickians - especially the farmers, merchants and local historians.
In 1997, the American Humane Society awarded him the Excellence in Media Award for his non-stop continuous writing and follow up stories disclosing the mistreatment and cruel hoarding of numerous dogs by a delinquent owner in Greenwood Lake which would end in the courts where the owner’s right to these canines would be terminated and the animals placed in caring shelters.
That same year, he received an Award of Recognition by the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce for his continuous outstanding support of the business community through his journalistic skills.
Roger was also the Public Relations writer for St. Anthony’s Hospital (Bon Secours Charity Health System Campus) for 25 years and covered many stories for their Port Jervis Campus as well as the Warwick location.
He was a regular guest with the Irish born singer/songwriter and former Warwick resident Carl Corcoran on his WTBQ radio show back in the 90’s.
Roger was loved, appreciated and respected by so many in his community.
Roger is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Terry (Ronaldo) Gavan; daughter Peggy Gavan and her husband Joe Ebler; son Sean Gavan and his wife Ariadna Lima Gavan; his brother-in-law Chip Ronaldo and his ex-wife Marge Gavan who remains a lifelong close and dear friend of the family; and also his best four-legged friends: Ellie, Josie and Jessie.
He was a member of St. Stephen’s Parish for 40 years. His faith was very important to him and guided him in all his endeavors.
He was a lover of history and has a remarkable memory for historical facts and dates and, as many would know who have spent any time talking with him, he was a great conversationalist, always ready with a humorous story and usually left with a one-liner like “If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself!”
Visitation was held March 27 at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Ave., Warwick. A Mass of Christian Burial follow at noon at St. Stephen R.C. Church, 75 Sanfordville Road, Warwick, with interment in St. Stephen’s Cemetery, corner of Galloway Road and Forester Avenue, Warwick.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in memory of Roger Gavan to St. Stephen Church, Respect Life Group, 75 Sanfordville Road, Warwick, NY 10990, or St. Therese Classical Academy, 3348 NY Route 208, Campbell Hall, NY 10916.
Funeral arrangements were made by Lazear-Smith & Vander Plat Memorial Home. To send an online condolence, visit www.lsvpmemorialhome.com.