Roger Bastyr was known for many things, but nobody can forget his love for people or his big, yellow truck.

Roger, founder of Roger & Sons, passed away Sept. 12, 2015, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Home in Austin.

A start in lawn care

Roger started his business in 1966 as Roger’s Lawn Service, expanding in the 1970s to Roger’s Industries, which dealt with sod work, super dirt and landscaping. In the 1980s, likely due to the many lawn services that were popping up around the area, Roger changed his business to asphalting, along with other odd jobs such as snow plowing.

“He worked hard,” said Jim Bastyr, one of Roger’s sons. “He worked a lot of hours, and he was a good dad overall.”

Yet Roger started at a much earlier age, biking around town to mow yards and do other garden work, while working at Sears fixing appliances and lawn mowers. Jim said his father was always hardworking, and he guessed the start in lawn service was because it was easy to get into when Roger was a kid. Changing the business over to an asphalt business was a change he was willing to take on.

“He liked the adventure of doing something different,” said Sue Bastyr, Roger’s wife.

A people person

Jim remembered his father as a people person.

“He talked to everybody, he made time,” he said. “He would be driving through town to look at a job or something and he’d stop to talk.”

Joe Bastyr, another of Roger’s sons, said his father always took the time to get to know somebody.

When the family would go camping, Jim recalled his father knowing everyone at the campground by the end of the weekend.

Roger always kept his family close, which showed through the family asphalting business.

“It’s always been a family business,” said Amy Flanders, Roger’s daughter.

He was proud to have his children work at the business. His four sons — Jim, Joe, Dan and John — all works at the business at one time.

“I think he was always proud to know the boys were working here,” Sue said.

“He was always proud of his kids,” she added.

Amy, who was not employed at the business, also always seemed to be doing odd jobs. She remembered cleaning bathrooms and doing other jobs, and even shoveling asphalt one time.

“He always included us,” Amy said.

Over the years, Roger employed brothers, cousins and other family and friends as well.

“He always wanted to keep people close to him working here,” Jim added.

Yellow trucks

Roger’s favorite color was yellow, which was the color of all the business’s trucks and vehicles. Friends, family and past coworkers wore yellow to the funeral in his honor, and his family honored him with a bright yellow casket.

“Everything was yellow,” Amy said.

“He would have been so proud and everyone made comments about it,” she added about the casket. “They just thought it was the coolest thing.”

One of the memorials sent by friends read, “To the man in the yellow truck who brought a bit of sunshine to everyone’s day.”

Sue remembered Roger driving around town in the big yellow vehicle. She joked that he could never hide from anyone with that bright yellow paint, but he never seemed to want to.

“He always drove a yellow vehicle, and he drove through town and would have people waving at him,” Sue said.

Enjoying life

Roger also loved the art of bartering, and he never passed up an auction of any kind. Amy remembered him joking about trading blacktop for a stay at St. Marks Lutheran Home.

“He loved good deals, and bartering,” Amy laughed.

He also loved camping, boating and getting together with his friends to play dice and cards. But a big part of Roger’s life was family, whether it was working with family, visiting family or spending time with his grandchildren, whom he loved very much. Amy remembered her father as always loving to have fun, even when they were young.

“He lived life to the fullest,” she said. “I would say he lived life with no regret and did what he wanted.”

Joe said his father never slowed down, even when he became sick.

“Even during this last year, he still put a smile on,” he said. “He just enjoyed life.”

Sue said Roger would be happy to know the business is still up and running, and there are no signs of slowing down. Sue said she thought many people respected Roger because they knew how much time and effort he put into making the business successful, and that hard work and the lessons he taught through the way he lived will live on through his family and friends.

“Be who you are, live life to the fullest, enjoy life and be kind to people,” Amy said.