Roger Oscar Clausen. Born December 14, 1943; died October 17, 2024 in Palmerston North. Farmer, Rotarian, Lutheran, Arohanui Hospice champion and Harley Davidson rider.
Roger Clausen has been remembered as a man of unflinching faith who lived his life giving service to others.
He was honoured many times, with a QSM in 2004, a Palmerston North civic award and as the Manawatū Standard’s Person of the Year in 2009, and with Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship, sapphire pin and other awards.
But perhaps his standout achievement was combining his love of riding the open roads on a Harley Davidson with raising money for his beloved Arohanui Hospice where he was cared for in his last days.
Clausen was born in Palmerston North, the third of six children - Peter, Alvin, Judy, Roger, John and Martyn - raised at parents Oscar and Moana’s dairy farm on what is now Pioneer Highway.
Daughter Daina Parry said he started innovating at the age of 12 when he bought a dozen goats and milked them for children with dairy allergies, and he left school just short of his 15th birthday determined to be a farmer.
He married Marian in 1970, and the couple raised three children, Daina, Kate and Daniel, living on a number of farms before settling at their forever home - the Kairanga property they called Skovlund - in 1992.
Of Danish descent, the Lutheran Church played a big part in his life. He was a lay reader at St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Church for some 45 years.
Minister Rex Voelkerling said he loved telling stories in a way that brought the Bible to life, with a depth of faith and mental clarity.
He played an integral role in overseeing the building of the current church on the site of what had earlier been the Danish Lutheran Church, and that was where he was farewelled at a packed-out funeral service on October 23.
His church involvement also launched him onto the Lutheran Homes Trust Board which manages a 33-unit village for senior citizens.
He was a useful rugby player in his early years, forever loyal to Kia Toa, and having played two seasons for Manawatū before retiring to the spectator seats.
It was his role in the farming community that introduced him to Arohanui Hospice through the forerunner to the Farming for Hospice programme in the early 1990s, and led to his invitation to join the service trust.
Next came the unlikely combination - bringing his Harley Davidson into the in-patient unit to provide cheer for a patient.
The bike was key to his personal fundraising achievement, bringing in a total of $259,478 for the hospice.
During his life, Clausen visited 90 countries across all of the continents, most of them raising funds and raising the profile of Arohanui Hospice across the globe.
It started with a ride across America in 2002.
In 2006, he teamed up with philanthropists Gareth and Jo Morgan to ride the back blocks of America.
Two year later, it was the Northern Lights tour to as close to the North Pole as bikes would go, and finally, he rode through South America in 2011.
And each time he returned, community groups were eager to hear stories of his adventures and make generous donations to Arohanui in exchange.
Clausen also travelled to India representing the Palmerston North Rotary Club as part of its efforts to provide a motorcycle, electric fencing and a dam for rural communities.
He was a 35-year member of Rotary, served as the Palmerston North president and a district governor in the 1990s.
Clausen reluctantly hung up his motorcycle helmet when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, a condition that robbed him of some of the dexterity, balance and strength to be a safe rider.
His final gift was to put his BMW F650GX up as a prize in a raffle to round out the most significant individual fundraising effort Arohanui has ever received.
Story credit to Janine Rankin and The Post
