Roger Reno, 88, of Rockford, a local attorney and former chairman of AMCORE financial died on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, in his home with his family by his side.
Born May 16, 1924, in Rockford; the son of Guy B. and Hazel (Kinnear) Reno, longtime Rockford residents. His father practiced law for 55 years and in 1923 founded the firm now known as Reno & Zahm.
Roger attended Rockford schools, Garrison, Roosevelt, and West, which are all now closed. Roger stated that he'd seen many changes in his lifetime, and "I've been against every one of them." This decision did not include his marriage on May 17, 1952, to Janice Marie Odelius, nor the birth of their children, Susan, Sheri (David) Rudolph, and Michael.
Following his graduation from West High, he started college at Carleton College (Minn.) where he spent one term, and then in January 1943, volunteered in the Air Force, being discharged as a First Lieutenant in March 1946, in order to re-enter Carelton where he graduated in 1947. During his service he spent one year at Kenyon College (Ohio) as a cadet in the meteorology program, and when that was dismantled, was assigned to the electrical communications school at Yale University (Conn.) There he received his commission and was assigned to engage in installation of instrument landing equipment.