John Albert Rogers

John Albert Rogers was born May 11, 1941, in Oregon City, Oregon, the fourth son of Lucille Grace Rogers and August (Bill) Rogers. A sister, Dolores, predeceased the brothers. He grew up in Lake Oswego, living in the house his father built across from the landmark park named for his uncle George Rogers, the city's first Park Commissioner. He attended Our Lady of the Lake Grammar School from 1948-55; Central Catholic High School for one year, and then Lake Oswego High School where he graduated in 1959. He majored in Math with a minor in Engineering at OSU, graduating in 1963. He would surprise his professors by skipping all classes for the term, showing up for the final, and crushing it.

He joined the Air Force in 1963 and after attending officer training, drove his beloved 1964 teal blue Pontiac Grand Prix to Minot, ND, where he served on the Top Secret Missile Command Crew. Most of his days were spent underground, and yes, his finger was trained and ready to annihilate Russia. During his time off he learned to ski, eventually taking to the slopes of Switzerland in a snowy blur and causing the instructors to remark that they had nothing more they could teach him. He received an A Plus military rating and was honorably discharged in 1968.

He married Charlene Reczuch in 1972; Mark Jeffery was born in 1975 and Jessica Marie in 1978. They moved into their 1910 home in Irvington in 1975. John researched all aspects of its history, and they lovingly restored it for over 40 years. It remains a testament to their vision and fortitude. John wanted to share his passions with his children. They spent many summers biking miles of trails at Sunriver with Grandma along for the fun, and in winter learned to ski at Sun Valley and other resorts.

John worked for Ross Island Sand and Gravel for 19 years, first as a Traffic Controller and eventually as Head of Dispatch. After debating a career switch for a long, long time, he retrained as an energy trader, working for BPA for five years before moving into the private sector at Pacificorp where he retired in late 2010.

John was an avid biker; enthusiastic sweeper for Portland Parks and Recreation Senior Hikes, which he documented in glorious photos; lover of the Oregon Symphony and all classical music; and avid consumer of old movies. He had an exceptional memory and became the unofficial family historian. He was always the only one in any room who could remember all the US Presidents in order. He made the best mochas this side of Vienna, experimenting with different blends, grinds, and beans, and wearing out three espresso machines in the process. John loved food, enthusiastically sampling whatever was on offer. He liked to cook, and he baked and tinkered with his famous apple cake and strawberry rhubarb pie recipes until they reached perfection. He and Charlene traveled whenever they could, returning many times to their favorite cities, New York, Rome, London, and Hong Kong. They were also fortunate enough to visit many far-flung destinations-- Libya, Ethiopia, Eastern Tibet, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka-- as well as other European and Asian countries. On a landmark trip in1993 they flew to his father's family's place of origin, Madeira Island. His Portuguese ancestry was an integral part of John's identity, and he experimented with numerous ethnic recipes for all our Holidays. Since he was always behind the camera lens, we have fewer photos of him than we would like; but he captured our shared experiences for us to savor now. He lead a full, rich, and varied life as long as he was able. He was optimistic, courageous and talented.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Charlene; son, Mark Jeffrey Rogers and daughter Jessica Marie McCleery; grandchildren Mercedes Ghormley, Mason McWilliam, and Makenna Rogers; brothers Robert Rogers, Ralph Rogers, and Tom Rodrigues; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. We will miss him immensely.