May 10, 1944 - June 5, 2017 Share your Memorial with Family & Friends Ronnie Gerald Rogers Ron was a native Oregonian and lived most of his life in Portland. He was a professional musician for several years and loved jazz. In 1968 Ron played trumpet and flugelhorn in the Dixieland band that was chosen to accompany Robert Kennedy on the train during his whistle-stop presidential campaign tour through Oregon. You can see Ron standing next to Kennedy in several press photos taken at that time—he’s the short young guy with glasses. Ron became a real estate broker in 1979. His appreciation of architecture served him well in his 37-year career selling Portland area homes. He also had an amazing memory for the homes he sold. He could accurately tell you the details of a transaction from 20 years ago, right down to the name of the family dog. Ron was an avid golfer and he cherished his time on the links with his pals, many of whom were fellow Realtors and clients who became close friends over the years. He particularly enjoyed golfing at the beach and spent as much time as he could at the family’s Otter Crest condo. One day not too long ago he went out on the deck to enjoy the ocean view wearing a bright red sweater, and was suddenly surrounded by hummingbirds who apparently thought he was a giant crimson flower. He got such a kick out of that. Ron had a remarkable number of visitors during his short time in hospice care, and he left us knowing he was well-loved. He succumbed to congestive heart failure on June 5th, 2017. Ron is survived by his wife of 50 years, Corliss, daughter Joan, sister Nancy (Rogers) Miller, and nephews Andrew, Scot, and Brian Miller. If you want to do anything in remembrance of Ron, he had a soft spot for animals, particularly cats. The following organizations would make loving use of a donation in his honor:Ronnie G. Rogers
We will be celebrating and remembering Ron at an informal “open house” at the Eastmoreland Grill located at the Eastmoreland Golf Course (2425 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland OR 97202) on Friday, June 23rd from 1:00 to 4:00. There won’t be a specific program or memorial service, so feel free to drop in anytime. CLICK HERE for directions.