Age 90. Roland got his greatest wish to join his late wife Shirley when he passed away peacefully on December 27, 2020. He is survived by his children Kris Condon (Mike), Dr. Tom Ohrt (Patti), Kathy Reed (Jeff), 7 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law Gloria and Anne Ohrt, and brother-in-law Harry Curtis. Roland was preceded in death by Shirley, his wife of 68 years, brothers Ralph and Ken Ohrt and sister-in-law Bonnie Curtis.

Roland grew up on farms near Bennington, Elkhorn and Millard, and graduated from Millard High School. He served 12 years in the Nebraska National Guard’s famed Red Bull Division, earning the rank of 1^st Sergeant, Division Headquarters. He was named Soldier of the Year in 1955 and became the first recipient of the Colonel Alfred Thompson Memorial Award for Leadership.

Roland served as Chief of Police in Millard and Captain of the Road Patrol for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department. He also was Rescue Captain for the Millard Volunteer Fire Department and a member of the Millard Airport Authority and Southwest YMCA Planning Committee. He was a founding member and president of the Millard Jaycees. After moving to Scottsdale, AZ, in 1982, he served as president of Color Image, Inc. He also was president of the Westbrook Village Championship Golf Course. Roland and his wife, Shirley, returned to Omaha in 2008.

Roland had the deepest respect for anyone in uniform, whether military, fire, EMT or those who go to work in a bulletproof vest. He lived by this motto: It’s better to be in the game than sitting on the sidelines.