Chris, Bob, Kelly, and Garrett triumphed over the trimmings.
Christianne Dettmann
Did you know the YMCA operates a youth camp and retreat center less than 30 miles from SaddleBrooke, just on the other side of the Catalina Mountains? With a plethora of activities that includes archery, horseback riding, swimming, ziplining, and more, the Triangle Y Ranch camp provides an exciting yet peaceful getaway for kids of all ages.
Preparing for camp every year is no small job, which is why Rotary clubs from across greater Tucson get together every spring to help complete high priority projects in advance of the busy summer season. This year’s Tri-Y work day fell on April 4, which proved challenging overall due to Easter weekend conflicts, but the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club still sent a team to work alongside other local Rotarians and members of YMCA leadership.
From trimming trees to whacking weeds, this small but mighty group succeeded in preparing key areas across the grounds to receive young, excited campers and their counselors. While there is always more to be done, Tri-Y gratefully appreciated everyone’s efforts! You can learn more about the Triangle Y Ranch camp at tucsonymca.org/triangle-y-camp-retreat-center.
Additionally, you can learn more about the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club by visiting its website at saddlebrookesunriserotary.org or sending an email to saddlebrookesunriserotary@gmail.com. You could also attend a regular club meeting on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:45 a.m. in the Mesa Room of the La Hacienda Club at SaddleBrooke Ranch. Or, if you’re really an early-riser, join us beforehand for coffee and casual conversation at 7 a.m. in the same room.
The SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club is a service-based organization concentrating its hands-on efforts throughout Arizona’s Copper Corridor. Whether you live in SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, or in surrounding communities, come make a difference right here at home with this dedicated team of friendly, fun folks!
Roger Lindeken
Spotlight on Roger Lindeken
Joyce Wainscott
Roger Lloyd Lindeken, past President of the Sunrise Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke, was born in August 1942 in Oakland, Calif., and raised in Walnut Creek. Like many teenagers, he graduated with ambition—but no clear plan. A summer construction job arranged by his brother-in-law provided both a paycheck and perspective. After listening to veteran tradesmen describe their work with more endurance than enthusiasm, Roger decided 40 years of swinging a hammer might not be his future.
He enrolled at Diablo Valley College without a roadmap, but a one-unit aptitude course pointed him toward business and accounting—guidance he later credited with changing his life. He transferred to San José State University, earned a business degree and spent the next five years as an accountant in three industries, confirming that while businesses vary, numbers—and deadlines—do not.
In 1970, Roger married Marsha, beginning a partnership that has lasted more than 55 years and included a notable amount of relocation. That same year, Kaiser Aluminum offered a three-year assignment in Jamaica. Roger said yes, and within weeks the couple managed both a wedding and an international move, sailing through the Panama Canal to Montego Bay—an unconventional honeymoon that set the tone for what followed.
Their son was born in Jamaica, and their daughter arrived soon after their return to California. Back at Kaiser’s Oakland office, Roger and Marsha realized they had developed a taste for adventure. When an opportunity with the Arabian American Oil Company arose, they moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia—with two small children and a willingness to figure things out along the way. They spent 13 largely positive years there. When the prospect of sending their children abroad for schooling became real, they chose family proximity over geography and returned to the U.S. in 1987, settling in Reno. (Somewhere in the middle, Roger also earned an MBA from the University of Oklahoma.)
In Reno, Roger opened a bookkeeping and tax practice that he ran for more than 30 years, finding satisfaction in helping local individuals and small businesses. He also served as a counselor with the University of Nevada Small Business Development Center and contributed widely—volunteering with the Business Development Center, serving on the Truckee Meadows Community College Business School Advisory Board, holding leadership roles in Rotary, and supporting the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
In 2020, Roger and Marsha built a home in SaddleBrooke Ranch in Oracle, Ariz., arriving just as the COVID pandemic began—timing friends describe as perfectly “on brand.” Roger joined the Sunrise Rotary of SaddleBrooke and was elected president in 2022. Marsha, a constant force behind the scenes, was named an honorary member in 2024 and inducted in 2026.
Today, they remain active, healthy, and happily in motion—always planning the next trip or gathering. And in quieter moments, it’s easy to picture them raising a glass, sharing a smile, and agreeing: it’s been quite a ride.