Michael Allen Rogers

Michael was born on May 21, 1950, in Fresno, to Grace and Ralph Rogers, and passed away suddenly on Saturday, February 12, 2011. Mike attended St. Alphonsus School and Roosevelt High School. During high school he worked at Las Palmas Market on C Street and at Dekor Drugs on Shields and West Avenues. After high school, Mike joined the Marines in 1968. He was immediately deployed to Vietnam. There he earned a Purple Heart and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for heroic conduct. He suffered an injury when a fellow Marine stepped on a popup mine. Mike's life was spared by the position of his rifle at his side, but he suffered injuries that sent him home. Once home, he went back to work at Dekor Drugs and began throwing a newspaper route for The Fresno Bee. He started full-time work at The Bee in November 1970, as a Messenger for the Dispatch department. In 1975 he transferred to the Display Advertising department as a Service Clerk before being promoted to an Account Executive in 1985. Mike moved to the Ad Creation/Design Center department in 1997, where he filled a critical role in the advertising and production process as Production Paginator. He recently received his McClatchy 40-year pin. Mike could be a growling bear at work, but most who worked with him knew it was just for show. He took some joy in scaring ad reps who brought in late ads. But Mike was really just a teddy bear deep down. He would do anything for anyone, offering his assistance, his truck, his tools, his expertise. He always had a smile on his face and goodness in his heart. His laughter could be heard even more often after he married Susan Brown, a National Advertising Executive at The Bee, in 2003. Mike was an avid deer hunter (with bow and arrows) and taught his kids to love the sport. He was in the process of sharing his love for the hunt with granddaughter, Kallei. When his kids were young, Mike coached softball and baseball teams. He supported his children in whatever endeavors they took up. He played softball himself until he was 40 or as his son says, "till his knees wouldn't let him anymore." In a devotion that comes only from a great father, Mike was his daughter's lamaze coach for both of her children's births. Mike was "born to be wild" and loved his purple motorcycle. This was a guy who would try just about anything once. He loved (real) bowling, but could also bowl a 300 on the Wii. At age 60, he was pretty much addicted to the Wii. Mike was the cook in the house. He "barbecued like no other," and made bag lunches and dinner almost every day. Mike's specialty was what he called "whop slop," a spaghetti sauce of his own creation that included Italian sausage, meatballs and pork roast. There's a batch left in the freezer for the family to continue to enjoy. More recently, he enjoyed Christmastime, when the family was together. There's nothing he liked better than a house full of his grandchildren. Mike and Susan were in Reno celebrating Susan's birthday and Valentine's Day when he suffered a massive heart attack. On the way up, Mike got a speeding ticket for going 96 mph in a 70 mph zone. Mike was never one to take life in the slow lane. Mike's many friends, co-workers and family will miss his laughter, his generosity, his selflessness and his zest for life. He leaves a hole in all of our hearts. Mike was preceded in death by Beverlee, his first wife of 30 years. He is survived by his adoring wife Susan; brother, Ralph Rogers of Clovis; sister, Joan Sherwood and her husband Mitch, of Squaw Valley; sister, Janet Ayello and her husband, Dennis, of Clovis; daughter, Chauncie Malsbury of Fresno; son Troy and his wife Angie, of Las Vegas; stepdaughters, Kathleen Badiali and her husband Steve, of Paradise, and Tina Naffziger and her husband Marc, of Fresno; and nine grandchildren, Julia, Kallei, Nicholas, Jordan, Marco, Maison, Vinnie, Jailyn and Gabriel. Visitation will be held at Stephens & Bean Chapel, 202 N. Teilman in Fresno on Friday, February 18, 2011, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. A Memorial Service will be held at Stephens & Bean Chapel on Saturday, February 19, 2011, at 11:00 a.m., followed by military burial at Belmont Memorial Park. Remembrances may be made to the Fresno VA Medical Center, 2615 E. Clinton Ave., Fresno, Ca., 93703; or the Italian Catholic Federation at http://icf.org/forms/donations.pdf.

Arrangements under the direction of Stephens & Bean Funeral Chapel, Fresno, CA.