ROGER WILLIAM HARLOFF

Ellenton, FL- Mr. Roger William Harloff, age 76, formerly of Batavia, a long-time tomato farmer in the Bradenton/Palmetto area died Sunday, July 20, 2008 at his home under hospice care.

He started farming at an early age with his father Roy on their farm & dairy operations and later at Roger’s farm in Stafford.  He moved his family to Bradenton, Fla. in May 1969.

Roger was a co-founder of the Batavia Kartsville (International Motorsports Park) in 1961, which was built on his father’s property on the north side of the Thruway.  Racing had always been in Roger’s blood from the days when he raced stock cars in Western New York. 

Roger was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed water skiing, snow skiing, hunting, fishing and flying.  He thoroughly enjoyed his farming, cattle and citrus operations and always had stories to share with the many people that he interacted with during the course of his long-time farming operations in the Manatee County area.  He also enjoyed visiting the eastern Tennessee mountains and spending time at his lake place near Morristown, TN.

Survivors include three sons, Dean Harloff of Sarasota, FL., Edward Harloff of Bradenton, FL. and Russell Harloff of Bulls Gap, TN; four sisters, Shirley Jagow of Niagara Falls, Dorothy Pelton of Scottsdale, AZ; Helen Weaver of Corfu and Gloria Wolford, Corfu; four grandchildren and nieces and nephews also survive.