Loving and devoted husband and father Roger Neuhoff died peacefully Oct. 28th on Martha’s Vineyard. He was 87.
Born Feb.16, 1928, in New York City to Jerome and Betty Green Neuhoff, Roger spent his childhood in King’s Point, Long Island, with his older brother John. He followed John to Phillip’s Academy Andover, where Roger was a champion hammer thrower and track star.
The brothers were Inseparable in their formative years, and Roger later attended Amherst College right behind John, graduating in 1950. From there, Roger was one of the earliest recruits of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he was deployed behind enemy lines in North Korea to rescue downed American reconnaissance pilots.
With a keen intellect and boundless ambition, Roger’s meteoric career in media began as a salesman at WTOP AM in Washington, D.C. Not long after, Roger and his wife Louise began building Eastern Broadcasting with the acquisition of their very first radio station in Charlottesville, Va., in 1955. From there, he and his business partner, Bob Zimmerman grew the company, adding another 11 markets of television and radio. In 1989, Eastern was sold to Tele Media in one of the largest transactions of its kind at the time. During that same period, Roger and Louise moved to North Palm Beach, Fla., and joined the Lost Tree Club, their permanent home. In 2003, Roger and Louise began building another broadcast company, Neuhoff Communications, which still operates in six Midwest markets.
Though Roger was always clearly focused on his work, his happiest times were spent with Louise, family, and friends in Edgartown, where he was able to relax and enjoy life. The Neuhoff family has summered on Martha’s Vineyard since 1956. Roger was a member of the Edgartown Yacht Club, a founder of the Chappaquiddick Beach Club, and a member of the Edgartown Reading Room, where he was renowned for his backgammon skills. He also belonged to the Washington University Club and the Chevy Chase Club.
A longtime cancer survivor, Roger was perhaps best known to those closest to him for his ability to always remain positive in the face of adversity. He used humor to deflect and disarm those around him, and always found a kind word to lift the spirits of others.
Predeceased by his parents, his brother John, and his son Geoffrey, Roger leaves behind his wife Louise, daughter Marion Hickman and husband Simon of West Tisbury, his sons Eric and Alexander, and his daughter-in-law Beth. Additionally, Roger leaves 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a niece and four nephews, and Felix the cat. His beautiful smile always warmed our hearts.
A private family service will be held on Martha’s Vineyard. Memorial donations may be made to the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, mvpreservation.org.
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