Bruce Michael Rogers

On the morning of December 28, 2015 Bruce Michael Rogers passed away at his home in Lake Shastina, California. He was 87 years old. Bruce was born on February 10, 1928 in Downers Grove, Illinois to Ruth Wander and Walter Rogers. Bruce grew up in Downers Grove and was raised by Ruth and her second husband Robert Wander. Bruce graduated from Downers Grove High School and North Central College in Naperville, IL. He was a veteran of WWII. Bruce married Elaine Finnegan on July 2, 1949 and together they raised seven children – 5 daughters and 2 sons. They moved from Downers Grove to El Cerrito, California in 1958. They also lived in Novato and Sebastopol for several years. Bruce was proud of all his children and enjoyed family dinners/BBQs, camping trips to Lake Shasta, Christmas celebrations, and family reunions. He loved seeing his children grow up to follow their dreams and raise their own families, which included 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. For over 20 years Bruce sold medical supplies to hospitals throughout Northern California for American Scientific Products/Baxter. He and Elaine retired to Spokane, Washington in 1985. Then in 1990 Bruce and Elaine moved to Lake Shastina. Bruce was an active member of Holy Family Church in Weed where he sang in the choir. Service and giving back to his community were valued by Bruce. He was a member and former President of the Weed/Lake Shastina Chapter of Kiwanis. Together, he and his fellow Kiwanis members became involved with the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. Bruce could often be found at the Butteville Elementary School helping children learn to read. To that end he loved knowing his neighbors in the Weed/Lake Shastina area so his daily routine included drives to town and visits to the grocery store. In his spare time Bruce loved to carve wood figures, read books, take walks, ride his bike and complete his daily crossword puzzle. He enjoyed fishing, boating and golfing, as well as watching his 49ers and Chicago Bears. Bruce was an avid jogger and participated in several marathons over the years. Bruce could play music by ear and would often sit at his piano to play and serenade his wife, family and friends. He always enjoyed music and he and Elaine were fortunate to have seen great musicians in Chicago such as Louis Armstrong. Bruce played the trumpet during high school and in the army at the end of WWII. Over the years Bruce and Elaine took road trips around the country spending considerable time visiting family and friends in California, Washington, Illinois and the southwest. Family and friends were important to Bruce and he valued hearing their stories and treasured their visits. Bruce is survived by his beloved wife, Elaine, and their children Gail (Bob), Lynn, Jane (Michael), Jill (Gary), Tim (Chris), Mark (Susie) and Jen (Dave), as well as their 12 grandchildren Sarah, Lauren, Cody, Lindsay, Tyler, Jocelyn, Andrew, Elizabeth, Stephen, Benjamin, Beckett and Finnegan; plus their 7 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church (New Building Fund) 1051 N. Davis Avenue, Weed, CA 96094. A memorial service will be held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 507 Pine Street in Mount Shasta on February 27, 2016 at 11:00. A reception will follow at St. Anthony’s Hall.

Bruce Michael Rogers

February 10, 1928 - December 28, 2015