A life defined by purpose, integrity, and the people who needed someone to show up.
Born March 21, 1946 · 80 Extraordinary Years
Eight decades of building, organizing, serving, and loving — from a New Jersey street to the halls of the U.S. Senate. Click any moment to expand.
Eighty years of moments — from Maywood to Portland and beyond. Click any photo to view full size.
21 chapters of a life as told by Roger to his daughters Allie and Emery — in conversation, with warmth, honesty, and the occasional laugh. Click any chapter to read more.
Eighty years. A full, rich, extraordinary eight decades of life — built on curiosity, conviction, deep love, and an unwavering commitment to making the world more just and humane.
Roger Auerbach grew up in a small New Jersey town and grew into one of the most quietly impactful figures in American health and human services policy. To know Roger is to know someone who leads from values rather than ambition, who organizes people around purpose rather than power, and who has spent a lifetime on the side of those who need it most — the elderly, the disabled, the worker, the underdog.
He helped elect a senator. He helped pass a law that let people with disabilities work without losing their healthcare. He helped thousands of Oregon seniors stay in their own homes instead of nursing facilities. He helped veterans across the country live with dignity and choice. And he helped two daughters grow into extraordinary women.
"You are the best dad in the whole world."
— Allie & Emery, at the end of every single conversation