Harold Rolseth

Harold Rolseth, 93, died on Sunday, December 17, 2023. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Irene (Reitan) Rolseth. Harold was born in Chicago, Illinois, the only child of Norwegian immigrants, Torvald and Borghild (Reppe) Rolseth. His first three years of life were spent with his mother and her family in Norway, while his father worked hard in the U.S. to save enough to bring them back home. His Norwegian heritage grew to be a lifelong keystone for Harold. Growing up in Chicago, he met his future bride when they were both about five years old, their families being part of the same large Norwegian community and eventually living upstairs and downstairs from each other. Harold earned two degrees from The University of Illinois, both in mining engineering. Prior to earning his master’s in science and marrying his childhood sweetheart, Harold served two years in the U.S. Army as a radio operator in the peacekeeping force in Germany. He worked for Union Carbide for 34 years in the jet piercing group. His work led to innovations that allowed the mining of taconite, a very dense source of iron for steel production. Harold and Irene lived with their family in Piscataway, New Jersey for 14 years, before moving to Ridgefield in 1973. They remained in their home on High Pastures Court for 45 years before moving to assisted living in Newtown. He was a lifelong Cubs fan and also enjoyed watching golf, football, and college sports. Harold was a proud member of Ridgefield’s Post 78 of The American Legion. Harold leaves behind his son, Ken, along with his partner, Karen; his daughter, Susan, and her husband, Mark; his three grandchildren Daniel, Christopher, and Rebecca, as well as their partners, Meg, Brandi, and Kate, respectively; his greatgrandchildren, Oliver, Henry, Campbell, and Emmett; his nephew, Philip, and niece, Karen, children of his beloved cousin, Baby; and many lifelong friends from Chicago, Piscataway, and Ridgefield.