Pine State News

Roger Wing passed away peacefully with his family right beside him at Maine Medical Center in Portland on March 22nd, 2023. There will be no service at this time.

Wing was a compassionate member of the UMF community who came to Farmington in 1961. Wing was a 1953 graduate of the University of Illinois, earning a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education. He was a star on the baseball team, registering a modest .342 batting average in the Big Ten conference. Following his graduation from Illinois, Wing served in the U.S. Army as a combat platoon leader for two years. 

In the summer of 1958 he married his life-long companion, Mary Whitworth. The two of them returned back to Illinois where Wing earned his Master's degree. After obtaining his degree, Wing moved to New York where he was a teacher and coach at Somers.

After two years at Somers, Wing came to the University of Maine at Farmington where he began as a physical education instructor and the head coach of the men's basketball and baseball teams. Wing was highly successful in his head coaching roles, but transitioned into the Athletics Director, while adding the head coach of the men's soccer and golf teams to his resumé. 

Wing was one of the founders of the men's soccer team, developing the program from its infancy into a third ranked program in 1968. In golf, Wing produced highly successful teams year in and year out. Under Wing's tutelage, the golf team captured numerous state and district championships, as well as reaching eight national tournaments. Wing was named the NAIA District V Golf Coach of the Year on five separate occasions. 

As the Athletic Director, Wing developed a holistic philosophy that centralized on a commitment to education. This philosophy and approach helped to establish the strong reputation at the University of Maine at Farmington. 

Wing was not only the Athletic Director at Farmington, he was also an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation where he specialized in therapeutic recreation. Due to his dedication to academics and his commitment to teaching upper-level courses on a desired and sequential basis for students in the rehabilitation services program, Wing stepped down as the Athletic Director after 32 years. 

In 1994, Wing became the 1st ever inductee in the University of Maine at Farmington Athletics Hall of Fame as a result to his years of dedicated service to the department and University as a whole. 

Wing leaves behind a lasting legacy at the University of Maine at Farmington, one that will not soon be forgotten. 

Original source can be found here