Paul Lawrence Rogers, Jr.

Paul Lawrence Rogers, Jr. came into this world on May 4, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, the first of eight children born to Paul L. Rogers, Sr. and Ruth M. Rogers (née Johnson). He died peacefully at his home in Benicia, California, with his loving daughters at his side, on February 16, 2026.

Paul’s early childhood was dramatically impacted by a case of tuberculosis that infected one of his hips, necessitating two, multi-year hospitalizations, the first starting at the age of two. His earliest memories were of the hospital, where he endured countless treatments including bone graft surgery. The hospital only allowed visitors on Sundays, and his father never missed a visit, even during the famous Great Blizzard of 1947 that shut down New York City. The experience instilled in Paul a lifelong interest in medicine and the sciences, including genetics, biology, zoology, botany, and evolution.

In the mid-1960s, he met Anne E. Stokes in the International Building at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, where both were employed at Bristol Meyers. They married and welcomed daughters Celeste in 1965 and Jessica in 1969. In 1970, a job opportunity in California with Bio-Rad Laboratories called, and the family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Though he would spend the rest of his life a California resident, he remained a loyal New Yorker at heart and maintained close ties with his family. He never lost his Brooklyn accent or affection for his home state and heritage.

Paul worked for more than 30 years in the medical diagnostics, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals industries, working his way up from product sales to development and eventually quality assurance and regulatory affairs for countless drug products and assays. He loved his profession and his colleagues, many of whom he maintained friendships with long after he retired.

A passionate traveler, Paul visited more than 14 countries including Cuba, The Seychelles, Tasmania, Japan, Thailand, Belize, Tahiti, much of Europe, Great Britain, and Ireland, his ancestral homeland. He also traveled extensively within the United States, and loved camping and exploring California’s many beautiful coastal and woodland parks.

Paul had a boundless curiosity and love of learning; he never met a book he didn’t like, and was a prolific reader and book collector. He was a great appreciator of the arts and had an avid interest in photography, particularly favoring flora as a subject for his work. In his retirement years, he became a genealogy enthusiast, spending countless hours researching his family’s history and leaving no stone unturned.

Paul loved music–-especially jazz, though his tastes were broad–-and singing. He was a member of many choral groups throughout his life, among which one, the World Harmony Chorus, toured and performed throughout Cuba during the 2001 Festival Internacional de Coros.

Paul is survived by his daughters, Celeste and Jessica Rogers, his sister, Lorraine Atkins and brother in law Bill Atkins, brother in law John Studioso, sister in law Susan Rogers, and a large and wonderful extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews, and countless friends that brought him great joy, kinship, adventures, and beautiful memories. Most especially, he cherished his close friendship with Andrean (Tom) Bertok that lasted nearly 70 years.

He was predeceased by his parents, his ex wife and devoted friend, Anne E. Rogers, his beloved sisters, brothers, and siblings-in-law, Grace Gallagher (Patrick), Marilyn Sharoh (Daniel), Kathleen Studioso, Denis Rogers, Warren Rogers, and Mary Ellen Flynn (Michael).

The family wishes to extend special gratitude to Fabby, Paul's nurse and caregiver, for her exceptional care and support.

Paul has gifted his physical remains to the UCSF Willed Body Program in hopes that medical professionals can learn from his unique and complex medical history. To honor his life and memory, raise a glass of Irish whiskey, enjoy a slice of key lime pie, or whisper his name into the ocean breeze. If you are able, a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in his honor would be greatly appreciated, as would a contribution to your favorite wildlife- or nature-supporting nonprofit.