Roland Higbee Sr.

Roland Higbee, Sr. of Barrington, IL passed away on October 24, 2021 at Cedar Lake Assisted Living Facility in Lake Zurich, IL where he lived with his wife Rosemary Higbee.
He is preceded in death by his father Claire, his mother Mattie, his brother Lawrence and his sisters Maxine (Balke) and Ruth (Lockhart) and is survived by his wife Rosemary, previous wife Del Torrison, sons Keith and Bill and daughter Susan (Visor).

Roland was born on Halloween in 1927 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Growing up in Michigan was where he learned to love the outdoors, hunting and fishing as a boy with his brother and friends along the shores of Lake Michigan. It was in High School band where Roland developed his love for music and drumming. He would go on to study drumming and music at the Interlochen Music Camp, where he honed his skills as a rudimentary and jazz drummer.

Roland enlisted in the Marines at the age of 17 and was discharged on August 21, 1946 at the age of 19. He was the United States Marine Corp. Jazz Band Drummer, taking over for the one and only Buddy Rich. He was also awarded numerous medals and accommodations in the Marine Corps and was very proud of his service to his country.

After service he went on to performing as the drummer in the House Orchestra of the Chez Paree, a Chicago nightclub.

Eventually, the nightlife gave way to a “real career” for Roland. He got into sales and marketing where he met and married, Delma Zimmerman, in tiny Ladoga, Indiana at the American Wheelchair Company. Del and Roland got married May 26, 1956 and went on to start their family – with Keith being born in Crawfordsville, Indiana and Susan and then Bill being born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In Cincinnati, Roland went on to become Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Institutional Industries Incorporated, and later held the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing for several other Medical Device manufacturers. Besides his sales and marketing expertise, Roland also earned three patents in the medical industry – two for a track-based shelving and storage system, and one for a locking caster system used on ambulance gurneys.

In 1976 Roland married Rosemary Cairo, his wife of 45 years. They made their home in Barrington, Illinois and found years of joy fostering stray cats and dogs. They both enjoyed attending drum and bugle corps competitions and other musical events. They loved to eat out and had favorite meals at their regular spots.

Roland would want you to remember him for his light touch, his easy going style, and his love for music. He would want you all to have that little twinkle in your eye like the one he had in his. And he’d want you to keep time with the music because the beat goes on even after the song stops.