Gary Rodgers' Obituary
Gary Lee Rodgers Resident of Hayward CA April 22,1941-June 15, 2016“With a heavy heart, I say goodbye to my loving husband, hero, mentor and partner in fun and travel. May you be at Peace in your Everlasting Journey. I will meet you down the road someday” Gary Rodgers, a long-time Bay Area “Oakland Boy”, passed away on June 15, 2016 after open-heart surgery complications. He was 75 years old. His tremendous influence on others and kind generosity will be very much missed. Gary was born in Oakland, California, to Matthew and Irene Rodgers. He had one sibling, Cheryl Hamilton, (sister), deceased prior to him. He also has a surviving niece, Jill Price, (Ripon, CA). He leaves his beloved and devoted wife; Judy Allen-Rodgers, and his favorite cat; “Smokey”. Gary graduated from Castlemont High School in Oakland. He spent a brief time in the National Guard after high school. He had many occupations, but spent most of his life working for the Hayward Unified School District. He taught math, science, driver’s training, but primarily, physical education and coaching at Mount Eden High School in Hayward. During the summers, he was Head Coordinator for the Summer Youth Employment Program, helping young people with job placement and training. He loved working with teenagers and was an exceptional mentor and counselor to them. Gary was an avid sports enthusiast all his life. He especially loved his local teams, such as the SF Giants and Oakland A’s baseball teams. He also loved the SF 49ers, and the Golden State Warriors basketball. He played Bocce Ball with friends in Livermore, and kept up on all the Bay Area sports. While attending college at Cal State Hayward, (now; University of the East Bay Hayward), in the 1960’s, Gary, at 6’4″ played center for the very first Cal State Hayward basketball team; the “Pioneers”. He was coached by the beloved Bill Vandenburgh, who Gary much admired. One of Gary’s biggest joys was to travel the world with his wife; Judy. Gary and Judy traveled to such destinations as; Africa, Antarctica and the Arctic (Churchill, Canada), Europe, South America, (the Amazon), and the South Pacific, to name a few. His other love was wildlife “critters” of all types. He and Judy shared a love of the outdoors and nature. He always had a soft spot for animals. Memorial donations can be sent to animal rescue organizations, such as World Wildlife Fund, in Gary’s name. No public memorial services are planned at this time, but a Celebration of His Life gathering of friends and family will be held at a future date. Gary was cremated at Chapel of the Chimes, Hayward, California.
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