Roland Eugene Kinser

Roland Eugene Kinser passed away peacefully in the early afternoon of September 19, 2026, at the age of 93 in his home at St. Anne's Terrace in Atlanta, GA, after a long battle with diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

Roland was born in Wichita, Kansas, to Nellie Brubaker Kinser and Eugene Wiley Kinser. He moved with his family to Warner Robins, Georgia, in early 1942, where his father was Superintendent of Engine Repair at Warner Robins Air Force Base during and following WWII.

He graduated high school in Warner Robins and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology as one of the early students in the co-operative education program. During his time as a co-op student, he worked at Honeywell Corporation in Atlanta. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1955 and completed his master’s in mechanical engineering at Purdue University in 1956. He remained an enthusiastic Yellow Jacket supporter for his entire life.

Roland married Jean Carolyn Armstrong of Belmont, North Carolina, in 1956, and the newlywed couple moved to Savannah, Georgia, where he began his long career in the mechanical contracting business, working at Erickson's Mechanical Contractors for several years. After a short time in Albany, Georgia, Roland moved his family to Falls Church, Virginia, inside the D.C. Beltway, in 1963, where they lived for 43 years. In 2006, Roland and Jean moved to Atlanta, GA.

Shortly after their move to the D.C. area, Roland opened his own mechanical contracting firm. Roland was a registered Professional Engineer in numerous states and very active in professional activities throughout his career. He was a founding member of the American Subcontractors Association and Metropolitan (D.C.) Subcontractors Association, eventually serving as National President of the Association. He was also very active in ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) both in the D.C. and Atlanta areas.

Roland was a lifelong Christian. As a student at Ga. Tech, he lived in the Methodist Student House on campus. He met his wife, Jean, at a church conference at Lake Junaluska, NC. In Falls Church, he and the family were members of Falls Church Presbyterian Church, where he was a deacon and an elder, and where he served as chair of a major renovation and addition to the 150-year-old historical church. In Atlanta, Roland and Jean joined Central Presbyterian Church, where once again he was co-chair of a major renovation project of another historic church.

Roland was one of the first two Eagle Scouts in Warner Robins, GA, and scouting continued to be important throughout his entire life. Roland was very active in leadership at the troop, district, and area levels in the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts. He worked several summers at the National Jamboree at Camp A. P. Hill, in several leadership capacities. In recognition of his service to scouting as an adult, Roland was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, one of Scouting's highest honors.

Roland was married to Jean for 70 years and was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and he always looked forward to the family gathering together for Thanksgiving at their farm in WV.

Roland is predeceased by his parents and a younger sister, Norma Louise, who died when she was 11. He is survived by his wife, Jean; his sister Judith Burden of Warner Robins, GA; son Donald Eugene (Nanci) of Long Creek, SC; daughter Norma Hough (Charles) of Martinsburg, WV; and son Stephen (Katherine) of Atlanta, GA. Other survivors include grandsons Max Kinser (Hannah) of Clemson, SC; Addison Hough of Glen Burnie, MD; Thomas Kinser of Atlanta, GA; granddaughters Kelsey Kinser of Charlotte, NC; and Alison Anderson (Shaun) of Marietta, GA; and great-grandchildren Elise, Joseph, Eva, and Caroline.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Anne's Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, 57 West 57th Street, Suite 904, New York, NY 10019, or online at www.alzdiscovery.org/donate, in memory of Roland Eugene Kinser.