Ben Roman

Benjamin Roman passed away on June 23, 2020, at Cody Regional Health after being admitted the day before. He was just three weeks from his 90th birthday. Ben was born in Cheyenne to Benjamin and Pauline Roman.  Interestingly, he was delivered by his future mother-in-law.  Ben was a longtime Story resident and retired as superintendent of the Story Fish Hatchery after 38 years of working with the Wyoming Game and Fish. He was an active member of the Story Lions Club and was proactive in keeping Story the community he loved. He served on committees to prevent the limestone quarry and the Little Goose Gulf Oil road. He also served on the Story Ambulance, the Story Planning board was a past member of the Story Volunteer Fire Department and served on the District Fire Board. He was an active member of Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, hiking, backpacking, jet skiing, traveling, and caring for his property in Story. 

Ben and Betty married  August 29, 1953, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He started his career with the Game and Fish in 1953-1954 but spent the next two years in the U.S. Army.  He then worked as a distribution truck driver for the Game and Fish and In October of 1956, he became a hatchery assistant at the Como Bluff Hatchery. In 1959 he moved to the Speas Hatchery near Casper where he served for one year. He was then made foreman of the Dubois hatchery. In 1963 he became a foreman at the Story Hatchery, and in 1968 became superintendent there. In 1990, Ben received the Award of Excellence from the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

He and his wife Betty retired in 1991 and continued to live in Story. Ben moved to Elmcroft Assisted Living Facility in Sept. of 2018. Three weeks before his death he checked himself out of Elmcroft to spend time with his family in Story and his daughter in Cody where he got to visit one of his granddaughters and two of his great-granddaughters..

A mass will be held for his family and close friends at Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church in Story at a future date.

He was preceded in death by his wife Betty and son Christopher. He is survived by his children Kathy Julien, Andy Roman(Diane), Angela Romanjenko(Mike), and grandchildren Anna, Heather, Jessica, Erica, Christopher, Regina, Benjamin, and Elizabeth. He also had three great-granddaughters Aspen, Ryan, and Avery. As a Melvin Jones Fellowship Award recipient, Ben had a passion for the work done by the Story Lion’s Club.  Memorials may be made to the Story Lions Club, P.O. Box 3, Story, WY 82842. We will miss you!