Roland Nathaniel Shorter, was born and raised in Washington, DC, to Richard Shorter III and Rosa Broadus. In his younger years, Roland was an avid tennis player, and while in High School, proudly earned the Washington DC Tennis Championship. He graduated from Bell Vocational High School, in Washington DC, where he was introduced to the technical skills that he used for a lifetime of service, handiwork, and repair.

Following high school, Roland moved to Florida where he committed two years of his life to volunteer service through the Mennonite Church. During this time, he met his wife, Esther (Weaver) Shorter, who was involved in the same volunteer service project.

Roland was most proud of two things: his marriage and his family. Roland was a faithful and committed husband who proudly celebrated 52 years of marriage on February 3rd, 2025. From this union, Roland has 3 children: Brian, Valerie, and Nathan, and 2 daughters-in-law, Christina and Sophia. In addition to his children, Roland has 7 grandchildren who lovingly refer to him as "Old Pa,": Tamari, Kiran, Hudson, Vivienne, Sophia, Aubrey and Jack Roland, as well as siblings: Lorraine, Margo, Stephanie, Constance, Francine, Richard IV, Marion, Vanessa and Marlo, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He is a proud member of the Shorter family and was committed to keeping the legacy of the Richard Shorter family line alive through his membership in the Shorter Family History Committee. He was preceded in death by his parents: Richard Shorter III and Rosa Broadus, his siblings: Sylvester Shorter, Lorraine Shorter (sister-in-law) and William Shorter.

Roland dedicated 42 years working at UGI Utilities and retired as a N.A.C.E. Certified Senior Corrosion Control Technician. During retirement, Roland remained committed to his life of service by volunteering on church committees, family committees, helping friends and families with home, car and business repairs, and driving bus for Willow Valley and Tandem Living Retirement Communities.

Over the years, Roland served on several Boards and committees. He and his wife helped create and produce a children's TV show, called Friendship Company, which aired through ACTV in Reading, PA in the early 1980's. He loved vacationing with family, always having his phone ready to take pictures. He loved music, played the guitar and led worship in a previous church he attended. He genuinely loved people, never meeting a stranger. He shared his faith in very practical ways, freely lending a hand to help someone in need. He loved debating issues and lively discussions. At the time of his death, he was an active member of Bright Side Baptist Church in Lancaster PA.

Roland was struck with a sudden and devastating diagnosis in December 2024. Despite the hardships that he endured during the diagnosis, Roland remained steadfast in his faith, endurance, positive outlook, and his desire to brighten other people's day with his quirky sense of humor. It was during this time that Roland decided to dedicate his body to ongoing research so that his life would continue to impact other people who might also face this devastating disease. Although Roland is no longer with us, his life will continue to impact others by helping to support a cure to save others. To partner with Roland in his efforts, the family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Roland's name to Humanity Gifts Registry, www.hgrpa.org/ . Donations can be made by check, payable to "Humanity Gifts Registry" and sent to: P.O. Box 835, Philadelphia, PA 19105-0835. Please make sure to include Roland's name as the person your donation is memorializing. Please call Humanity Gifts Registry at 215-922-4440 for more information.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at Bright Side Baptist Church, 515 Hershey Ave, Lancaster, PA 17603. The family will receive guests beginning at 10:00 AM. The service will begin at 11:00 AM.