Kreig Douglas Roof

Dr. Kreig D. Roof passed away unexpectedly on May 3, 2023, at the age of 63. He is survived by his loving wife, Elizabeth Evers Roof and son Bennett and daughter Caroline, his mother Suzanne Snyder Roof, brothers Jeff (Susan), Kevin (Marie) and Eric (Joan) and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, family, and friends.

Kreig’s motto was “Anything worth doing was worth overdoing” and boy, did he live up to that! He grew up in the countryside outside Harrisburg, PA and had a wonderful childhood with a loving, close-knit family. Kreig’s boyhood was filled with mischievous pranks and adventures with his brothers, playing lots of sports and listening to the radio with hopes of one day becoming a “PIP” for Gladys Knight. He loved to sing and dance, and he had all the moves!

Kreig could do anything and everything. He was smart enough to be in the National Honor Society, popular enough to be Student Council Vice president, and good looking enough to get any girl, but still manage to letter in 4 sports. His athletic prowess was legendary (vertical leap of 37” made him a standout) at Redland High school, where he was a phenomenal wide receiver known for his “soft hands “and “glue fingers” before being recruited by more than 30 colleges.

Kreig decided to join the Fighting Blue Hens at the University of Delaware and played his freshman year. After realizing that college football was a full-time job, he left to focus on his studies and lifelong dream of becoming a psychologist. Kreig earned his Ph.D. in School Psychology from his beloved -WE ARE-PENN STATE! in 1989. He moved to Nashville to complete a post-Doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he met Elizabeth, who knocked him out cold with her southern charm, stylish flair and ability to curse better than any sailor. They were quite a pair of Yin/Yang and it was true love.

Kreig started his fulfilling career in Pediatric Rehabilitation at Vanderbilt Stallworth in 1992, spearheading the program’s design and creating services that optimized patient outcomes. Kreig loved being part of this professional team, and he loved serving his patients, going above and beyond to make them whole again after tragic accidents. Families loved his compassion, sense of humor and genuine care. As a truly gifted clinician, Kreig worked long hours, toiling to make sure that patients got every service and resource they needed. He is legendary for crafting perfectionistic, lengthy patient evaluations and reports, including detailed recommendations to make their lives better.

Kreig saw more than 7,000 patients over his 38-year career at Vanderbilt and in his private practice. He changed lives and “always left everything on the field” for his patients. The fact that his colleagues trusted Kreig to see their own families, pleased him so much. He truly was the best in his field.

But the thing that Kreig loved more than anything, was his family. Kreig loved being a Dad to Bennett and Caroline and they meant the world to him. His face just lit up when he saw them, and they felt exactly the same. He was a hands-on, patient father who slept on the floor next to them during thunderstorms, and read and snuggled with them for hours until they fell asleep. Kreig was also the “kitty cat dad” and loved nothing more than napping on a cold winter day with 2-3 cats using his tall body as a warming station.

Kreig was there for every school play, event, boy scouts, girl scouts, karate, guitar and drum lessons, lacrosse games, longboarding competition and every sleepover. He was at his best when the house was full of the kids and their friends, and he ensured that every enticement was at their disposal, from a custom-built treehouse, a stunning pool, fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a place for Bennett’s band to practice. His family was his greatest joy, and he told everyone he knew (and some he didn’t) how proud and blessed he was.

Kreig was the biggest fan, cheerleader and supporter of all things-it didn’t matter what you were into, he wanted to let you know that he listened and cared. He spent hours building LEGO creations with Bennett, encouraging his love for all things mechanical. When Bennett started playing guitar, Kreig found the best teacher, spent hours searching eBay for every little piece of gear and told Bennett’s band mates to turn it up as high as their amps would go, so he could really “hear” their metal music from our bonus room, much to the neighbor’s chagrin. With Caroline, he encouraged her competitive spirit, taking her to hockey games, trash talking the refs and was thrilled when she signed up for lacrosse. He watched her go from a shy child to a real badass on the field. He relished every minute on the sidelines, learning photography just to be more involved, and taking thousands of breathtaking action photos, highlighting her skills.

Both Caroline and Bennett inherited Kreig’s athletic skills, but he wanted them to find their own passions and supported everything they did. He also did the same for Elizabeth, being a great sounding board and supporting her until he deemed her a superstar in her profession. Indeed, Kreig spent the last few years attending Elizabeth’s professional conferences all over the world as her “arm candy”.

Kreig had an encyclopedic knowledge, not just of his profession, but of the television show “Seinfeld”, Motown lyrics, Monty Python and Mel Brooks movie lines. And he knew exactly when to pull these memorized, sarcastic lines out of his holster, just to make you laugh. He could build and fix anything and he did the same with people. He listened to hear what they needed and then gave them “more than they could imagine”. He had the most tender, sentimental heart and small things could bring him such awe, joy and move him to tears (just like his Mom). He taught his children to feel deeply, to laugh, and to never be too scared to love. Kreig made the world a better place and we are saddened that he left us too soon. He gave so much of himself that there wasn’t much left over for him, but then again, he didn’t know how to “not overdo it.” He will be deeply missed by all whose lives he touched. Donations in Kreig’s honor can be made to the charity of your choice or the Williamson County Animal Shelter (https://www.adoptwcac.org/), Special Olympics International (https://www.specialolympics.org/), or the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR.org.)

A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 12, 2023, at 4:00 PM at Heritage Funeral Home with Peter Van Eys officiating. A visitation will also be held on Friday from 3:00 – 4:00 PM at the funeral home. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.