Obituary of Roger Nils Folsom

Roger Nils Folsom, of Monterey, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2020. He was eighty-two years old.

Born in 1938 in New York to Anna Katherine (Nilsson) and Clarence Stroud Thompson Folsom, Roger moved with his parents and younger sister Diana to southern California in the 1940s. He graduated from Stanford University in 1959, marrying his wife Ann that same year. He earned a doctorate in economics from Claremont Graduate School in 1974.

Throughout his life, Roger believed deeply in the importance of teaching, and of caring for others. He was a Professor of Economics at San Jose State University for 17 years, retiring to become a professor emeritus in 1999. Roger’s economics teaching career also included associate and visiting professorships; serving in the US Naval Reserve as a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School; and teaching high school.

Roger also loved flying, spending many satisfying hours with small aircraft through the Navy Flying Club and various general aviation airports. He also enjoyed driving a well-maintained car on a clear freeway at a good clip with a great song on the radio. He was an early and enthusiastic adopter of computers, from the early days of punchcards through to modern laptops. Whether literal or metaphorical, Roger valued finding the proper tool for the job, and helping others do so too.

Roger was predeceased by his parents, his older half-brother Victor, and his younger sister Diana. He is survived by his wife Ann, their daughter Heather, and her husband Cameron. Roger was a kind person and a loving husband and father. He is already much missed.