Roger M. Friedensen

March 30, 1961 – March 17, 2025

Roger M. Friedensen died at his home in Raleigh on March 17 from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 63.

Roger was born March 30, 1961, on Long Island, New York, and moved to Winston-Salem at age 3. He was the youngest of three children of Sylvia and Howard Friedensen.

It was his parents who inspired Roger’s early interest in Judaism. In his teen years, Roger was active in BBYO, a Jewish youth organization. Faith was an inextricable part of Roger’s life.

Roger’s siblings, Fran and Robert, gave him his love of music. Like his sister, Roger loved The Beatles. Robert helped teach Roger to play guitar, and as adults, they continued to share their love of music at Millwood Blues Week, an annual music camp.

Roger graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1979 as a National Merit Scholar. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He went to work right after college at Epley Associates, one of the nation’s leading independent public relations firms, rising from account manager to senior vice president. He was an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University. In 2009, he co-founded his own firm, Forge Communications. He retired in 2022.

Over his career, Roger earned accreditation from the Public Relations Association of America (PRSA). He filled numerous roles in professional organizations, including PRSA’s Counselors Academy, the Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS) and the North Carolina PRSA. He received the Watt S. Huntley Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 from RPRS and the Michael L. Herman Excellence in Mentoring Award in 2024 from NCPRSA.

Roger’s greatest pride was his daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Friedensen.

He enjoyed taking her to places like New York City, Disney World and Sedona, Arizona. They also made memorable treks to the North Carolina mountains and coast. At home, they bonded over a love of cooking, fixing dinner together and enjoying it while watching Alton Brown’s “Good Eats.” He instilled in Sarah a love of science and nature, binge-watching episodes of “Planet Earth” together. It was Roger who helped Sarah survive high school physics — a subject in which she would later earn a doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Roger loved reading to Sarah; “The Phantom Tollbooth” was a favorite.

In 2000, Roger met his “bashert” (soulmate), Teresa Kriegsman. They married in 2003. They enjoyed traveling, going to concerts, hiking in the North Carolina mountains and quiet nights at home. For many years, they hosted Passover Seder and invited friends of all faiths. Over 21 years of marriage, they brought out the best in each other. Theirs was an enduring love affair.

Roger cultivated lifelong friendships, keeping up with a childhood neighbor from Long Island, his third-grade classmates at Brunson Elementary School in Winston-Salem and fellow members of BBYO. Many know Roger from his guitar performances with Mishpacha (Hebrew for “family”) at Temple Beth Or in Raleigh and their annual Hanukkah concerts at Quail Ridge Books. He served on the board of directors at Temple Beth Or and was a member of the Masons, Oak Grove Lodge #750 in Durham, and a Shriner at Amran Temple in Raleigh.

Roger had an extraordinary outlook, describing his life as “overflowing with blessings.” Goodness and joy were at the heart of everything he did. He listened keenly to his divine calls, and his gifts extended well beyond his personal reach through everyone whose life he touched. He put others’ needs ahead of his own, even in his hardest times. He embodied the famous Beatles’ coda: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Sylvia and Howard Friedensen of Winston-Salem. He is survived by his wife Teresa Kriegsman of Raleigh; daughter Sarah Friedensen and son-in-law Andrew Broeker of Maryland; sister Fran Gordon and brother-in-law Bert of Winston-Salem; brother Robert Friedensen and sister-in-law AnnMarie of Virginia; niece Annie Friedensen Rodriguez and spouse Damian, and children Diego and Ramona, of Brooklyn; niece Rachel Friedensen and spouse Anastasia Polda of Minnesota; nephew Michael Gordon and spouse Krista Westerlund of Maryland; father-in-law Melvin Kriegsman and spouse Carmen of Greensboro; brother-in-law Jeff Kriegsman and spouse Vicky of Raleigh; nephew Jacob Kriegsman and spouse Caroline of Raleigh; and nephew Daniel Kriegsman and partner Ashley Berg of Raleigh.

The funeral will be held at Temple Beth Or in Raleigh at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, immediately followed by a graveside service at Raleigh Hebrew Cemetery, 450 N. State St. Arrangements are by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Raleigh. A shiva minyan will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Temple Beth Or.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to The ALS Foundation, ALS United North Carolina, Team Gleason, Temple Beth Or, Chabad of Cary, Chabad Young Professionals or a charity of the donor’s choice.

The family’s immeasurable gratitude goes to those who cared for Roger: Jørgen, Betina, Phillida, Jonathan, Kelly, Makaila, Blaire, Anna, Deb and Rebecca as well as to the Duke ALS Clinic and Duke Home Health and Hospice; to those who provided spiritual guidance and support, including Rabbis Lucy, Raachel, Yisroel, Lev and Zalmy, as well as Zemer Lexie; and to the friends and family who showed up in innumerable ways to keep Roger connected to a daily network of blessings.