John Edwin Rogers

1946 - 2019

John Edwin Rogers

Surrounded by his family, John Rogers passed away peacefully in his home on February 19th, 2019, following a heroic 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born on February 2, 1946, in Seattle, WA. His childhood years were spent on Capitol Hills' Newton Street, where he made lifelong friends and attended St. Patrick's Grade School and Seattle Prep High School.

John graduated from Seattle University in 1969, where he met fellow student Susie Medved. They married three years later, in Tacoma, WA, uniting two large and boisterous families. John and Susie lived in Santa Monica, CA early in their marriage and moved back to Seattle to start a family in 1975. Their children, Libby, Tighe, and Heidi, arrived in 3-year intervals.

John had a career in the insurance industry that spanned over 43 years. He partnered with Brian Gurry in 1983 to form Gurry&Rogers Insurance Agency, a brokerage dedicated to serving the needs of small business owners. Because he loved being of service, loved his co-workers, and loved his many clients, John continued to work up until the time of his death.

John and Susie raised their children in Northeast Seattle and he was involved in their schools as Athletic Director, soccer coach, and on parent boards at both Villa Academy and Seattle Prep. John also served as Parish Council President at St. Bridget's Parish for several years and volunteered with the Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination programs.

John's perfect day would begin with a walk in the Arboretum or Seward Park. He enjoyed gardening, swimming, journal-ing, photography, sketching, and traveling. In both his personal and professional life, he was a mentor and advisor to many. He cherished his role as "Peepaw" to his two grandchildren, Nica and Felix, and loved being a brother in law, uncle, and grand uncle of 111 nieces and nephews.

John's family would like to thank his wonderful medical team at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and all his hundreds of friends and supporters who helped him transform what was a grim diagnosis to a full and travel-filled 20 months of life. Despite his illness, John was committed to maintaining a resilient, positive outlook-he was an inspiration to all.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Edwin and Madeline Sheahan Rogers, and his siblings, Jim and Chassie Rogers. John is survived by his wife, Susie Medved Rogers, his children, Libby (Sam Pak), Tighe (Katy Juranty) and Heidi (Lance Pelletier), his grandchildren, Nica and Felix Juranty Rogers, and his sisters, Clair Jenkins, June Kennedy, & Linda Rogers.

A funeral mass in celebration of this life will be held at St. Bridget's Church on Friday, March 8th at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donation in his name may be made at http://engage.fredhutch.org/site/TR?px=1712412&fr_id=1573&pg=personal to support pancreatic cancer research at Fred Hutch.