Roche's first wife was June Roche, and they had four children together. In 1971, when Roche became president of Hillsdale College, the family moved to Michigan. In 1999, the Roches divorced, and George remarried that same year. Scandal broke out upon George's remarriage, still in 1999, when his daughter-in-law, Lissa Jackson Roche, claimed to have had an affair with him spanning 19 years. She threatened suicide, and her husband found her in the college arboretum with a handgun and her blood still warm; he was unable to prevent her self-inflicted death. Roche was placed on leave of absence, but resigned nine days later and left public life. The widely publicized scandal brought national attention to Roche and Hillsdale. The 2000 book ''Hillsdale: Greek Tragedy in America's Heartland'' explores the events and questions whether Lissa Roche's death was actually suicide. Roche denied Lissa's allegations. After the scandal, Roche moved to a remote cabin in Colorado. He visited Michigan briefly in 2005 to celebrate his 70th birthday. He died on May 5, 2006, in
Louisville, Kentucky. ==Bibliography==