Edward R. Roustio

Dr. Edward R. Roustio, Th.D., age 99 of Concord, formerly of Iowa, passed away on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at Carleton-Willard Village, Bedford, MA. He married Lillian A. (Shaver) Roustio at First Baptist Church in Collinsville, IL. They were devoted to each other in marriage for 71 years.

Dr. Roustio was dedicated to serving God and others. He had a sparkling smile, a ready twinkle in his eye, and an infectious laugh. He had a quiet, humble, and gentle spirit. He often was a man of few words (surprising for a preacher), but conveyed much warmth and humor in those words. His wisdom, insight, patience, and humility earned him the respect and love of those who got to know him. He made a lasting impression in our hearts and will be greatly missed.

Dr. Roustio was born in St. Clair County, Illinois on January 11, 1909, the son of Edward B. and Anna (Hagemann) Roustio.

Raised and educated in Collinsville, IL, Dr. Roustio later graduated from Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, William Jewell College in Liberty, MO, Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY, and with a master and doctorate of theology from Central Baptist Seminary, Kansas City, KS. In addition, he did graduate work at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He had a long and wonderful career as a Baptist pastor, investing in people in local churches and the surrounding area in Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa. He also enjoyed teaching and scholarly activity as a seminary professor, including writing commentaries on several books of the New Testament. Even into his 90s, he loved to teach informally and formally; he taught and mentored several Sudanese seminary students in Cedar Rapids in Bible and pastoral ministry. He was one of a dozen pastors selected nationally to travel and preach in Haiti and Puerto Rico for several weeks in the late 1950s.

The couple lived in Keokuk and Cedar Rapids, IA for the latter half of their lives. Together they volunteered for many years in the Veterans Administration Hospital, Iowa City.�"Dr. Ed" is beloved among his many family members, friends, and students as a brilliant Bible scholar who studied, loved, and lived the Scripture he taught. He was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Keokuk and was interim pastor on several occasions at Immanuel Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids and University Baptist Church, Iowa City.�

During his spare time, he enjoyed keeping current in all areas, following sports, and attending professional events in Chicago as well as Boston, where he supported the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots.�Early in his life, he was scouted by a farm team of the St. Louis Cardinals and intended to be a professional baseball player until, as he put it, "God got a hold of me."�Dr. Roustio loved all kinds of music, particularly hymns; he once won a small diamond in a radio name-that-tune contest, and played the saxophone.

Upon his "retirement," he moved to Concord to be close to his family.�Last year he taught two Bible studies in Concord and one in Winslow Tower, Arlington, in affiliation with Highrock Church of Arlington.

Dr. Roustio is survived by his devoted wife Lillian; his loving children, Joy Green of Concord and Carol Martin and David R. Roustio, both of Hudson, NH; his grandchildren Jeffrey Green, Jonathan Green, Amanda Aseltine, Angela Martin, Elizabeth Martin, Luis Martin, and Luis Roustio; his sister and her husband Ann and Lewis Eckert, of Edwardsville, IL; and by several nieces and nephews.�He was also the father of the late Edward P. Roustio.