Roger L. Lange

Roger Lee Lange, born January 19, 1937, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on November 21, 2025, at Froedtert Menomonee Falls after a recent illness.

A funeral service honoring Roger’s life will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Mueller Funeral Home & Crematory, 979 N. Green Bay Road, Grafton, WI 53024. Visitation will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with a funeral service at 11:00 a.m.Burial will immediately follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Grafton.

Roger was a proud graduate of Boys Tech High School, where he trained as a tool and die maker. A talented athlete, he began his college journey on a tennis scholarship at Ripon College before earning his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from MSOE in 1962.

His professional career began at Boeing in Seattle, where he worked as an aeronautics engineer. Roger’s work soon brought him to the center of one of America’s most historic endeavors—the Apollo Space Program. First with Boeing and later with Bell Aerospace in Niagara Falls, New York, he contributed to crucial engineering innovations for the Space Capsule and Lunar Lander. Roger often joked about being a “rocket scientist,” but he truly was one, earning multiple patents that played a role in the success of the moon landings.

Following the Apollo era, Roger transitioned into general industry, where his career expanded from engineering into marketing and executive leadership. His work took him across the United States and to countries throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia. Jean often joined him on these journeys, and together they cherished the opportunity to explore new places and cultures. Roger ultimately returned to Milwaukee to serve as General Manager of Sterling Plastics, where he concluded a distinguished professional career.

In 1959, Roger married the love of his life, Jean LaBranche. Together, they built a loving, faith-filled and vibrant family with their three children: David (Christine) of Thiensville, Lisa (Joe Garstecki) of Mequon, WI, and Daniel (Clare) of Brookfield, WI. Jean was a talented professional musician who spent her life working in the Church. Their family life was often filled with music and a variety of sports and recreational activities. Golf, downhill skiing, water skiing, tennis, figure skating, and music lessons were all cherished parts of their time together, creating memories that spanned a lifetime.

An active member of the various churches he belonged to including most recently St. Joseph’s in Grafton, Roger would sing in the choir and participated in many of the activities with the Knights of Columbus. He was an avid and accomplished golfer, maintaining a single-digit handicap for most of his life and continued to play until age 88. He cherished his time on the golf course-especially the many friendships made during his years at West Bend Country Club and at clubs in Western New York and Raleigh, North Carolina. He would like you to know that he was able to check off two bucket-list items; a Hole-In-One and in 2024 he shot his age at MeeKwon Golf course twice!

Roger is survived by many loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews, as well as his brother Jim (Doreen) Lange of Brookfield. Roger was preceded in death by his parents Sadie-Leora and Arthur Lange, his wife Jean, his sister Donna and his daughter Lisa Marie.

Known for his contagious smile, laughter, endless storytelling and an occasional “shimmy,” he excelled at card games, especially Sheepshead and Cribbage. Roger brought warmth, humor, and generosity to everyone he met. His presence enriched the lives of family, friends, and colleagues alike. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.