Dr Lee Roesti
Dr LeRoy "Lee" Philip Roesti
d. November 17, 2023
Farmville, VA
Dr. LeRoy “Lee” Philip Roesti, Jr., 80, joined the heavenly choir on Friday, November 17
surrounded by music, prayers, and loving family.
LeRoy “Lee” was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota to LeRoy Sr. and Margaret Kirn Roesti. From an
early age, Lee was a prodigy with piano and composition. Raised as a preacher’s kid in rural
Minnesota, he attended a one-room schoolhouse and hung around the church as much as
possible for the music and delicious potlucks. Summers were spent fishing and camping on
Lake Huron on Bois Blanc Island. LeRoy was salutatorian of his high school and studied music
at Luther College, and North Central College. He earned his doctorate in piano from West
Virginia University. LeRoy married Cora Ackerly and they raised two daughters, Darlena
Butler-Roesti and Susanna (Susan) Halliday.
Dr. Roesti created countless compositions for piano, orchestra and voice, while also serving the
Lord as a gifted choir director, organist and pianist for colleges and churches, retiring in
February 2016 from the Farmville Presbyterian Church. Dr. Roesti published 3 compositions:
Give Me Jesus, How Silently and The Miracle of Christmas Day. He also composed a musical,
“The Balladeer” and a tri-tonal mass “Misse Tritone.”
Lee enjoyed watching WVU football and any college basketball game. He loved visiting the
Christmas train display at Bevell’s Hardware in Blackstone and couldn’t turn down a slice of a
well-made lemon meringue pie. Known to Isabelle, Kenneth, Troy, and Cecelia as ‘Dad Dad,’ he
was a loving grandfather, and saved every card and picture they created. Lee leaves a legacy of
music appreciation and lifelong faith.
LeRoy is preceded in death by his wife, Cora. LeRoy is survived by his daughters, Darlena
Roesti-Butler (Maryland) and Susan Halliday (Farmville), and his brother Frederick Roesti
(Michigan).
A memorial service will be held at Johns Memorial Episcopal Church in Farmville, Virginia on
December 9 at 3 p.m. Fellowship and reception will follow in the church’s parish hall.
The family would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the kind staff of Centra Southside
Community Hospital and The Woodland of Farmville. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages
donations in Dr. Roesti’s name to Farmville’s F.A.C.E.S. Food Pantry or Meals-on-Wheels of
Prince Edward County Virginia. Shorter Funeral Home is serving the family. shorterfuneralhome.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dr LeRoy "Lee" Philip Roesti, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Memorial Service
Saturday, December 9, 2023
Starts at 3:00 pm (Eastern time)
Johns Memorial Episcopal Church (Farmville)
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