Roland Arthur Cormier

Roland Arthur Cormier, age 87 of Tuscaloosa AL, passed away on Friday, January 03, 2025, at Glenhaven Nursing Home in Northport AL. There will be a memorial committal service on Friday, February 21, 2025, at Barrancas National Cemetery, at 1:30 p.m. Following the service Mr. Cormier will be placed in the columbarium. Full military honors will be rendered. Norwood-Wyatt Chapel will be directing the service. 

Roland is preceded in death by his parents: Arthur W Cormier and Lydia Z (Fortin) Cormier; brothers/sisters: Bernard Cormier, Roger Cormier, sister-in-law Katherine Cormier, brother-in-law Wilfred Provencal, and brother-in-law Albert Angstadt II.

He is survived by his daughters: Allison (Terrance) Hamilton of Alpharetta GA; Elizabeth (David) Collins of Cedartown GA; Rebecca (Douglas) Burleson of Ft. Worth TX; son: John Kevin (Cathy) Cormier of Tuscaloosa AL; foster daughter: Annette Baumann of Argan GA ; former wife: Deborah (Angstadt) Cormier of Tuscaloosa, AL; sisters: Annette Provencal of Westminster MA, sister-in-law Linda Cormier of Leominster MA, sister-in-law Suzanne Angstadt of Pensacola, FL; and grandchildren: John Douglas Burleson and wife Alyssa with great-grandchildren Jude and James, Jesse Burleson, Joshua Burleson and wife Marlise, Joseph Burleson, Jeremy Hamilton , Amanda Hamilton, David Matthew Collins, Bailey Cormier, Brooks Cormier, Benjamin Cormier, Belle Cormier.

Roland Cormier passed away on January 3, 2025, at the age of 87 at home at Glen Haven Health and Rehab. The family would like to thank the staff of Glen Haven for their years of devotion in caring for Roland and for the love they showed him in his final days. Known for his devotion to family, humorous storytelling and often corny jokes, his love of laughter and joy was genuine and his desire to share happiness was sincere. He will be greatly missed by all those who loved him.

Born July 9, 1937, to the late Arthur and Lydia (Fortin) Cormier in Fitchburg, MA, Roland “Rollie” studied engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and was a member of their 1954 undefeated football team before enlisting in the US Navy and attending flight school in Pensacola, FL. After serving on the USS Saratoga aircraft carrier, he returned to Pensacola FL where he married Deborah Angstadt. In their 38 years of marriage, they raised 4 children and cared for 5 teenage foster daughters as his advancing career with IBM took them to New York and then Chicago. After 30 years with the company Roland retired as a senior instructor in their customer education department in 1990, although he continued to do consulting work with IBM for several additional years. As a career educator, he was also a lifelong learner and encouraged others to gain as much knowledge and wisdom as they could throughout life. “Education is something they can never take away from you.”

In 2000, Roland relocated to Tuscaloosa AL where he enjoyed engaging with his grandchildren’s day to day lives. Whether near or far, he encouraged each of them in their endeavors and had an uncanny ability to remember each of their birthdays and ages. One of his great joys was seeing his family together at holidays or on vacations. As a man of deep convictions, he modeled strength through adversity. He had a core value to always do your best and a belief that, if you do, it will always be enough. He believed there was nothing more important in life than love for God and family, and lived every season of his life with these priorities and blessed his children with this heritage. His family and friends treasure the legacy he leaves us and celebrate his life knowing he has been received by our Heavenly Father.

In Lieu of flowers please make donations to St. Judes, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.