Roht, Jaanus "Jaan" of Abington, MA, died on December 9, 2021,after a brief illness.
Jaan is survived by his wife Carol and five children: Robin Hayes and spouse Bob, Erich Roht, Jennifer Weldon and spouse Tom, Bonnie Carr, and Katie Roht, as well as his siblings, Toïvo Roht and spouse Deborah, and Kristi Roht.
Jaan was born in Tallinn, Estonia on August 2, 1939, to Erich "Juri" Roht and Hermilde (Leipalu) Roht, one month before the start of WWII. After Soviet occupation in the summer of 1940, he fled with his family to Finland, where they lived for 1 year before relocating to Sweden. In 1951, he and his family emigrated to Canada, where he attended MacDonald High School and earned a Bachelor's Degree from McGill University. Following graduation from McGill, Jaan joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, where he served as an officer and drove an armored tank. He completed his formal education with a Master of Science Degree in Food Marketing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and later settled in Marshfield, MA., becoming a naturalized citizen in 1968. He began his career as Store Manager of the Stop&Shop in Hanover, before joining the sales team at Merket Enterprise in Canton. He later went on to work for more than thirty years at the US Department of Agriculture as a Consumer Safety Inspector, where he received numerous awards for his dedication and strong work ethic, qualities that he passed on to his children helping them manage a large newspaper route in the Rexhame area.
Jaan had a great passion for history and was a lifelong member of the Marshfield Historical Society where he served as President for many years. His passion for history and service to the community continued as a longtime member and former President of the Old Colony Club in Plymouth, the oldest active social club in the United States. It was through these experiences that he continued serving the community, volunteering at soup kitchens, delivering fresh fruit to nursing homes at Christmastime, and supporting the Meals on Wheels program. Jaan was known by all as a very kind man and never wanted those who served in the military and fought for our freedom to be forgotten. He was extremely proud to be an American and frequently visited hospitalized veterans with his children, teaching them to respect their elders and learn from their wisdom. He loved eating his favorite food, pepperoni pizza, on Rexhame Beach with his grandchildren (10), who will sorely miss him: Alexa, Annie, Michael and Nicolas Roht, Elizabeth and Caroline Weldon, Alison and Callan Carr, and Mathew and Scott Hayes.
A Memorial Service will be held at Roht Marine, 2205 Main St., Marshfield, MA 02050, on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 from 12-4PM. Pepperoni pizza and drinks will be served. Please dress warmly. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Marshfield Historical Society.