1938
Gilbert
2020
Gilbert Roger Dayton
July 26, 1938 — March 14, 2020
Gilbert Roger Dayton (G. Roger Dayton)
July 26, 1938 - March 14, 2020
G. Roger Dayton passed from this life, with his family at his side, at Brookdale in Greenville, South Carolina, on Saturday, March 14, 2020. He called many Illinois communities home over the years: Chicago, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Batavia, and Coal City; and moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 2003.
Roger was born in Chicago, IL, the only child of Gilbert Reuben Dayton and Mary Lee (nee Pugh) Dayton. His family moved to Hinsdale, IL, and he attended Hinsdale Central High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1960. Roger served in the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Specialist 1961 – 1964.
He was a life-long restorer and collector of automatic musical instruments. In 1971, when his employer relocated, Roger turned his hobby of restoring player pianos and nickelodeons into a full-time business specializing in many forms of antique and automatic musical instruments. Pedals, Pumpers & Rolls, Ltd. encompassed his entire family for over 25 years (wife Carol, daughters Janet and Laura, son-in-law Steve Hale, and his parents Gil and Mary Lee), had multiple retail and rebuilding locations (Villa Park, Elmhurst, Hillside, Rockford, and Batavia), included a museum, and was often featured in Chicago-area articles and television interviews.
Roger continued his passion of rebuilding player pianos after the Batavia retail location was closed, after 1997. Moving his work to Coal City, Illinois and then to Greenville, South Carolina – where he involved his step-grandson, Jonathan Marquez, over the past few years.
He was also a life-long collector of toy trains and a member of the Train Collectors Association. Other affiliations included: AMICA (Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association) International; MBSI (Musical Box Society International; several PTG chapters (Piano Technicians Guild), SAR (Sons of the American Revolution), Franklin Club, Kane County Car Club. Roger most recently attended services at Faith Baptist Church in the Greenville area.
G. Roger Dayton is survived by his wife of 22 years, Sara Evelyn (nee Scott) Dayton, and his daughter Janet Louise Dayton Hale, her husband Steve Hale, and two grandsons Austin and Colin. He is also survived by Sara Evelyn’s daughter Ramona Kay Marquez (her husband Joseph Marquez; grandchildren: Jonathan (Cari), Melody (Chuqui), Julia, and Daniel (Faith); and 17 great-grandchildren) and her son Roger Kendzora (his wife Lisa Kendzora; grandsons: Brock, Brant (Yolanda), and Brion (Annette); and 7 great-grandchildren).
He was preceded in death by his parents Mary Lee and Gilbert R. Dayton, his wife (from 1961 – 1995) Carol Lee Dayton, daughter Laura Ann Dayton Rietz, and her husband Frederick Rietz.
Services will be private.
July 26, 1938 - March 14, 2020
G. Roger Dayton passed from this life, with his family at his side, at Brookdale in Greenville, South Carolina, on Saturday, March 14, 2020. He called many Illinois communities home over the years: Chicago, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Batavia, and Coal City; and moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 2003.
Roger was born in Chicago, IL, the only child of Gilbert Reuben Dayton and Mary Lee (nee Pugh) Dayton. His family moved to Hinsdale, IL, and he attended Hinsdale Central High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1960. Roger served in the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Specialist 1961 – 1964.
He was a life-long restorer and collector of automatic musical instruments. In 1971, when his employer relocated, Roger turned his hobby of restoring player pianos and nickelodeons into a full-time business specializing in many forms of antique and automatic musical instruments. Pedals, Pumpers & Rolls, Ltd. encompassed his entire family for over 25 years (wife Carol, daughters Janet and Laura, son-in-law Steve Hale, and his parents Gil and Mary Lee), had multiple retail and rebuilding locations (Villa Park, Elmhurst, Hillside, Rockford, and Batavia), included a museum, and was often featured in Chicago-area articles and television interviews.
Roger continued his passion of rebuilding player pianos after the Batavia retail location was closed, after 1997. Moving his work to Coal City, Illinois and then to Greenville, South Carolina – where he involved his step-grandson, Jonathan Marquez, over the past few years.
He was also a life-long collector of toy trains and a member of the Train Collectors Association. Other affiliations included: AMICA (Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association) International; MBSI (Musical Box Society International; several PTG chapters (Piano Technicians Guild), SAR (Sons of the American Revolution), Franklin Club, Kane County Car Club. Roger most recently attended services at Faith Baptist Church in the Greenville area.
G. Roger Dayton is survived by his wife of 22 years, Sara Evelyn (nee Scott) Dayton, and his daughter Janet Louise Dayton Hale, her husband Steve Hale, and two grandsons Austin and Colin. He is also survived by Sara Evelyn’s daughter Ramona Kay Marquez (her husband Joseph Marquez; grandchildren: Jonathan (Cari), Melody (Chuqui), Julia, and Daniel (Faith); and 17 great-grandchildren) and her son Roger Kendzora (his wife Lisa Kendzora; grandsons: Brock, Brant (Yolanda), and Brion (Annette); and 7 great-grandchildren).
He was preceded in death by his parents Mary Lee and Gilbert R. Dayton, his wife (from 1961 – 1995) Carol Lee Dayton, daughter Laura Ann Dayton Rietz, and her husband Frederick Rietz.
Services will be private.
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