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Memories from Linda
Doug passed away of heart failure suddenly on May 5th, just three weeks shy of his 80th birthday. He was born and raised in Ames, IA, the son of Margaret and Clarence Rogers and attended Ames High School and Iowa State University. Growing up, Doug worked summers at his uncle’s farm helping harvest oats, stacking the straw bales, cutting and putting up hay, rounding up and branding cattle and feeding pigs. During College, Doug and 2 friends decided to take a break and headed to Seattle to find a job at the Seattle World’s Fair. They had some luck and moved into a large old house with a few fraternity brothers from the University of Washington. The first night he met his future wife, Linda, at his 21st birthday party. Linda was fixed up with one of his friends but when she met Doug it was love at first sight.
Doug returned home after six months and decided that he needed to marry that girl. Linda’s sister Karen and boyfriend Tom were already planning a summer wedding. To their dismay, Linda’s father insisted on a double wedding instead of two separate one, so the couples were shortly following Christmas. Doug and Linda returned to Ames so he could finish college where he graduated with a B.S. in Industrial Administration. Several years later they relocated to Seattle though eventually landed in Bellevue to raise their family.
Doug began his career at Boeing in Renton, WA buying airplane parts for 5 years, Eddie Bauer in the San Francisco store and Redmond, WA corporate for 20 years, Road Runner Sports in San Diego, CA for over a year and Cabela’s in Sidney, NE for 8 years. A plethora of interests included boating primarily around Fox Island and the San Juan Islands, Eddie Bauer Outdoor Adventures such as the Alaska Iditarod and travels around the world but he loved the open road best. He was highly active in the local sports community especially with UW football, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, and the Iowa State University Football and coaching his kids’ sports teams. One of our entertaining trips was the intimate Sisters Folk Festival in Sisters, OR, which we enjoyed for 11 years straight during Labor Day weekend. Doug additionally garnered more than 30 years of experience as a merchandising professional in catalog, retail specialty store and footwear.
Doug is survived by his wife Linda of 58 years, daughter Kristina Michael and her husband “Mike”, son Jason and his wife Heather, grandson Hudson, and brother Bruce of Boone, Iowa.
Memories from Kristina
Dad was the ultimate sports Dad. He was an assistant coach on my sports teams growing up and was the loudest fan in the stands. His favorite memory of me was when I played soccer at halftime of a Sounders game in the Kingdome which he shared as we watched the Kingdome implosion on TV. Our most special bonds were the times spent on Orcas Island with the father-daughter crew, a collection of fathers and daughters from 10 families, that gathered every Memorial Day weekend for 25 straight years. Fishing, crabbing, s’mores, dominoes, birthday cake fights, dads sleeping in the bunkhouse, girls sleeping in the “Hilton” tent, dancing on the wide-open deck, breakfast at the Farmhouse, grocery shopping in Anacortes before dropping duffel-loaded boats in Puget Sound for the bumpy ride to Orcas Island. We experienced all types of weather, while enjoying nature, each other’s company and growing up together.
A fabulous Grandpa that enjoyed spending time with his grandson encouraging play, learning how to shoot hoops, exploring and traveling to “let’s go” places in his Toyota Seqoia. A true outdoorsman who relished time fishing, hunting and working for Cabela’s and Eddie Bauer which allowed him to travel to some unique destinations at little expense.
The Fox Island community where he lived knew him as the neighborhood greeter and a famous margarita maker. He loved talking to people, making new friends and staying in touch with everyone. He went out of his way to stay in your life because he was genuinely interested in you. Dad was a deep down gentleman, everyone’s friend, and lover of humans and animals alike who lived life to the fullest.
Memories from Jason
I have many great memories of my Dad. He always encouraged me to try new sports and new things. I mostly played baseball and he was the assistant coach. He wanted to be involved and loved every minute. He also understood if we didn’t like or have interest in current activities or groups anymore. He didn’t push me to do anything that I didn’t want to do, and he knew me very well in this respect. As I got older, I realized I wasn’t as much of an athlete but more of an independent kid.
The best times I remember were boating. From a young age I was off on my own around Fox Island. We enjoyed many trips including chartering yachts in the San Juans as well as fishing, crabbing and clamming.
When I was 16 my Dad ran into my baseball coach at Safeway and after speaking with him, he encouraged me to seek my first job at his Bellevue Honda dealership. This sparked a lifelong career in the automotive business where I am still employed 32 years later and was a turning point in my life.
That same year we went to Hawaii for the first time. Swimming in the ocean and pools was the highlight. He also let me drive the rental car, but I was probably a little too young.
Dad trusted me and for that I never let him down. Even letting me drive the car on my paper route when I was younger. Dad was so full of life even as he aged and faced challenges getting around. He never gave up and always had a positive attitude towards life.
Words cannot describe how much he will be missed but the memories will live on forever. He got to spend almost 10 years with his only grandson Hudson. I am very grateful for the time they spent together.
At this time no service is planned, but the family will celebrate his life later this summer.
In remembrance, please send donations to the following hospitals and in particular the 2 heart surgeons who were so instrumental in saving Doug’s life in 2007:
St. Michael Medical Center (formerly Harrison Hospital of Bremerton, WA
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Douglas Bruce Rogers, please visit our floral store.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle WA 98109
Tel: 1-206-667-5000
Web: http://www.fredhutch.org/en.html
St. Michael Medical Center Foundation
Tel: 1-360-337-8110
Web: https://www.chifranciscan.org/our-foundations/st-michael-foundation