Louis Adrian Roark

Louis Adrian Roark, 92, of Wamego, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at Valley Vista Good Samaritan Center of Wamego. He was born February 23, 1918 to Frank and Bessie (Davidson) Roark at Tecumseh, Oklahoma. In 1931, he moved with his parents to Gypsum, Kansas where he attended school and worked on the railroad. He was the eldest of five brothers and one sister. In September, 1940, Louis enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the 60th Coast Artillery anti-aircraft at Corregidor in the Philippine Islands. From there, he was taken captive in May, 1942, and spent 42 months as a prisoner of the Japanese. He was liberated August 15, 1945, and was promoted to Sergeant shortly thereafter. While stationed at Corregidor, Louis was awarded two silver stars for his acts of heroism, but the orders were lost and it was not until 60 years later, in the summer of 2003, that he actually received his medals. Louis obtained an honorable discharge from service in March, 1946, and went to work for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. in Salina, KS. He then transferred to Manhattan, KS in 1950, where he continued with the company until his retirement in 1978. He married Alice Mae Dennis at Salina on February 4, 1949. The couple moved to Wamego in 1970. She preceded him in death on September 8, 1997. Louis is survived by two brothers, J.D. Roark and his wife Marie, of Albuquerque, NM, Keith Roark and his wife Peggy, of Wichita, KS; one sister, Irene Eberhart of Ellensburg, WA; one sister-in-law, Toshiko Roark of Topeka, KS; several nieces and nephews, and his dear friend, Evelyn Webb of Wamego. He was also preceded in death by three brothers, Carl, Ray, and Jesse Roark. Funeral services for Mr. Roark will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 23, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church of Wamego. Burial with military honors will follow in the Wamego City Cemetery. Mr. Roark will lie in-state at the Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego beginning at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, where the family will greet friends during a visitation from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the Wamego Friends of the Park-Wamego Community Foundation, and may be left in care of Stewart Funeral Home, P.O. Box 48, Wamego, KS, 66547. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.stewartfuneralhomes.com.