Joe E. "coach" Rogers Obituary

Joe E. "coach" Rogers attended Bay City High School in Bay City, TX. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Joe E. "coach" Rogers.

Graduation Year	Faculty
Date of Passing	Jun 25, 2006
About	Joe E. Rogers died peacefully at Alz Care in Victoria on June 25, 2006. Joe Ellis Rogers was born on May 18, 1916 in Greenville, Texas; the son of Joe Mack Rogers and Bessie Clark Rogers. After graduating from Greenville High school he attended North Texas State University on a football scholarship, receiving a B.S. degree in economics. He coached at Whitney High School and Newcastle High School until World War II was eminent. He was then drafted into the Army Air Force, where he served for four and one half years. He was a member of the Eighth Air Force and was based in England for three of the almost five years he served his country. Following the war, he returned to coaching at Newcastle, Texas, where he met and later married Geraldine (Gerry) Brown in June of 1946. In 1947 Joe and Gerry moved to Bay City where Joe taught and coached for over thirty years. In 1951 he earned his M.S. degree in administration from the University of Houston. In 1950 he supervised the construction of the first track that Bay City High School ever had. He initiated the Black Cat Relays in 1951, with more than 20 area teams attending. After Joe's retirement this annual track meet was renamed "The Joe Rogers Black Cat Relays". He was one of the thirty initial "Black Cat Hall of Fame" inductees in November 2001. Joe's greatest love was his church, the Nichols Street Church of Christ. He was a devoted member of this congregation since 1947. He taught Sunday School classes for over forty years and served in many other areas until age and declining health, caused him to have to assume a passive role. He is survived by: his wife of sixty years, Gerry Rogers; their two sons, Joe Landon and wife Jill of Katy, and Donny Rogers and wife Dina of Victoria. Also by three grandsons, Dustin Rogers, Derek Rogers, and Keith Rogers. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 29, 2006 at Nichols Street Church of Christ with Joe Wrape officiating. Burial will follow at Cedarvale Cemetery with military honors. Honorary pallbearers will be Sam and Martha Maglitto, Landa and Marcella Schraub, Evelyn Haley, James White, and Damon Rutherford. Active pallbearers will be Dustin Rogers, Derek Rogers, Keith Rogers, Bill Klein, John Westbrook, Jean Springfield, and Alford Sabrsula.