Roger K. Birckhead
December 19, 2008
Birckhead, Roger Keith., 82, retired Wichita Heights High School Industrial Arts Department teacher and department head, died Friday, December 19, 2008. Visitation with the family, 5:00-7:00 P.M., Friday, December 26; services, 10:00 A.M., Saturday, December 27, both at Downing Lahey Mortuary West. Graveside service will follow, at 3:00 P.M., in Edgerton Cemetery, Edgerton, KS. Roger was united in marriage to Edna M. McGregor on August 31, 1947 at the University Methodist Church in Salina, KS. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Wichita and served as an usher for many years. Being the last survivor of his family, Roger was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, two sisters, and the love of his life, Edna, who passed away March 30, 1998. He is survived by sisters-in-law, Arlene (Ted) Hopkins, Peggy Birckhead, Mildred McGregor and Donna Tenk; brothers-in-law, Dale (Anna) McGregor and Paul Heimsch; many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews. A memorial has been established with Wichita Heights Baseball, c/o USD 259 Athletic Director, Rick Wheeler, 5201 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS 67219.
Visitation with family, 5:00-7:00 P.M., Friday, December 26, Downing Lahey Mortuary West
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I just found out about Rogers passing. I had always wanted to ‘give him a call’ when I got back in town. Regrettably that never happened. Roger was one of those people that came into your life and would leave a big influence that stays with you forever. What a kind and gentle man he was and very sincere. I will always keep a place for him in my memory. I continued on in the field of engineering as others would do, and because of his efforts towards me and others his teaching would be an indirect influence of many engineering accomplishments in our world today. Thank you Roger, well talk soon.
I want to say thank you to Mr. Birckhead for the being the wonderful teacher he was. I was a drafting student of his at Heights HS, must have been about 1973 or 4, and even at that time I had a great respect for the man, and his teaching skills. I had the best time in his class and even though I did not continue in drafting or architecture, some of the information learned then still follows me today. Our family lived close to him in NW Wichita, and as of a few years ago, would see him getting his neighborhood walk in and yell a greeting at him. May peace be with his family, knowing that he had a great effect on the education of his students.
Mr. Birckhead was a nice man. He was my Drafting teacher for 4 years at Heights. Very shortly after starting in his class as a Freshman I new what I wanted to do for a career. I have now been a Design Engineer for the past 40 years thanks to him. He had so much patience, seldom got angry, and he was certainly given plenty of reasons to get angry. He had such a nice smile. I don’t remember many of my teachers names, but I never forgot his. He made an impression on me that will last as long as I do.