James “Jim” Arthur Rogers, born February 22, 1930, passed on March 9, 2023, only five brief days after his wife’s death. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Arthur Bertrand Rogers and Ethel Walley Rogers. He was the oldest of two children, his sister Virginia completing the four-member family some ten years later.
Jim’s father, Arthur Rogers, worked for the telegraph company in Missouri, but was laid off as the Great Depression deepened. Arthur and the family were forced to leave Missouri for a dirt-floor cabin on a sharecrop farm in northern Mississippi. World War II reversed the family’s fortunes again, only this time for the better. They moved to New Orleans so that Arthur could begin welding for the war effort.
Jim loved New Orleans, and he graduated from Francis T. Nicholls High School in 1949, aspiring to become a musician. Playing the guitar brought him great joy, as did folk songs and sing-alongs. His Mother and Father had other plans, encouraging him to pursue a degree and become a physician. Jim agreed, and he first enrolled in Loyola University and then on to Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge. After his third year at LSU, he was accepted into the university’s medical school. Jim graduated from medical school in 1956, the salutatorian of his class as both Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Omega Alpha, earning the Urban Maes Surgical Award. Jim later signed on to serve in the United States Navy as a doctor and lieutenant, completing his internship and residency at St. Alban’s in New York and then the Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He served honorably in the Navy until 1959, and by 1961, his medical training was complete..
While attending Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Jim met a charming co-ed, Elizabeth (Libby) Stinchcum, and they married in July of 1955. His marriage to Libby was a very good thing for many reasons, and it was her that kept the young couple afloat during their early years. She worked as a dental hygienist as Jim pursued medical training. When they discovered they were expecting, Jim joined the Navy and their son William (Bill) was born in 1956. By 1959, the young family made their way back home to Louisiana, settling in the New Orleans area.
Jim had much to be proud of in life. He practiced internal medicine in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish for 45 years, serving thousands in the area. He was a physician’s physician, mentoring and teaching other physicians with his dedication and practice. Through his career Jim served as President of the Louisiana Society of Internal Medicine, Chairman of the Department of Medicine, Chief of Staff, Board Member, and President of the Board of Directors at various New Orleans area hospitals. He was also instrumental in forming the People’s Health Medicare Advantage program in New Orleans, one of the first Medicare Advantage programs in the nation. It was a physician-owned operation, and it has a hard-earned reputation for providing stellar care to its patients.
When Jim wasn’t with his patients, he had much to keep him busy. He still loved to play the guitar, and Nat King Cole’s ”Ramblin’ Rose” was a particular favorite. He was a multi-engine, commercial, and instructor certified pilot and enjoyed flying his plane, a Piper Arrow, out of Lakefront Airport. He was an avid nature and landscape photographer, and it was not uncommon to see him and Libby enjoying 18 holes on a Saturday at the Metairie Country Club. He was a founding member of the Palmyra Hunting and Fishing Club, and he served in various social organizations and Mardi Gras events. But mostly, he loved his hunting camp on the Mississippi River. He and Libby and their family visited as often as they could, hunting white tail deer and feasting on fresh-caught fish.
Jim and Elizabeth moved to Austin, Texas, in 2021 to enjoy being closer to their family. They were overjoyed to welcome their great-granddaughter, Piper Rogers, to the world the very next year. Nothing made them happier than knowing that their son, grandson, and their respective families were happy and thriving. Jim’s happiest moments in his later years were spent with his family, in the laughter of his beloved great-granddaughter, a joy to behold.
Jim was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Libby (Elizabeth Stinchcum Rogers), by only five days; as well as his parents, Arthur Bertrand Rogers and Ethel Walley Rogers, and his sister, Virginia Rogers. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law William and Lydia Rogers of Austin, Texas; his grandson and granddaughter-in-law, James and Nicole Rogers of Georgetown, Texas, and his great-granddaughter, Piper Rogers, also of Georgetown, Texas.
The funeral and visitation for James and Libby will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home on Thursday, March 23, 2023. Visitation begins at 11:00 a.m. until mass time at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at All Saints Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the non-profit or charity of your choice.
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