Mary Miller, a close friend of Roper’s, said he succumbed after a lengthy fight with cancer.

Chalice..current members

Roper had lived in Chicago since the 1970s. At the time of his death, he was assistant aquatics instructor at the YWCA in that city.

The lanky Roper was an original member of Chalice, formed in 1980. He sang on several of the group’s hits including Revival Time, Good to be There, Dancehall Philharmonic and Stew Peas.

Guitarist/singer Wayne Armond, also a founding member of Chalice, said Roper, whom he last spoke to a month ago, was “a very kind guy. He would give the shirt off his back.”

Roper is survived by six children and eight grandchildren.