MADISON - Roger Garms, age 80, passed away on Thursday, May 19, 2022. He was born on July 24, 1941, in Peru, Ill., to Ruth and Howard Garms. Roger graduated from LaSalle-Peru High School in 1959 and from Western University in Macomb, Ill., in 1964.

Roger earned his master’s degree in 1967, however, his schooling was cut short by a draft notice. Rather than joining the U.S. Army as a draftee, he volunteered and entered as an officer. He spent a year running an ambulance crew in Germany, followed by a year as Company Commander of the helicopter ambulance company for the 17th field hospital in An Khê, Vietnam. His experience with the war sparked his desire to spend his life working with war victims.

Upon finishing his tour of duty, he returned to the states in 1970 and married Ellen Garms. They had a son, Jesse, born in 1973. During this time he earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

After a divorce in 1977, he moved to LaSalle, Ill., where he began working with veterans traumatized by their experience in the Vietnam War. He ran group therapy sessions and began to develop therapeutic techniques for veterans suffering from PTSD.

In 1990 Roger moved to Madison, Wis. Along with his partner, Ann Garden, he began working with Cambodian and Hmong trauma victims and started a private practice. As a volunteer for United Refugee Service, he met Sarith Ou. Together they worked with the Cambodian community in Madison to build a local temple, sponsor monks from Cambodia, and build several grade schools and one vocational school in Cambodia.

While the pandemic made necessary changes to the way he interacted with these brave people, he was able to offer his help until the last week of his life.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Roger’s name may be made to the Cambodian School Project, (http://cambodianschoolproject.org/). Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Fitchburg

Funeral & Cremation Care

2950 Chapel Valley Road

(608) 442-5002

Roger Keith Garms

July 24, 1941 - May 19, 2022

Share photos of Roger