Ronald Alexander Rogers

Ronald A. Rogers

Ron was born at home on July 2, 1934, in Hamtramck, Michigan; a small city that was settled by Polish and German immigrants, and is surrounded by the City of Detroit. His parents, Alexander Rogalski and Stella Zuschinski, were born in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to Hamtramck, where they met and were married. A few years later the family name was changed to Rogers. Ron has a younger sister, Lorraine Rhoades, and a younger brother, Robert Rogers.

Ron lived and attended Catholic schools in the Detroit area. He liked to fish, swim, and go boating, at their cottage on Anchor Bay, near New Baltimore, Michigan. In the winter he would go spear fishing for pike with his Dad. He enjoyed drawing, painting, and music, and took accordion lessons for a few years. In his teen years he formed a small band that played at weddings and school dances.

Ron liked to use his hands and build things. As a child, his favorite toys were Lincoln Logs and Gilbert's Erector Set. He also liked to build airplane and boat models. He became interested in building constructions, when he was a teenager working for his father and other plumbing contractors as a plumber's apprentice. However, when he discovered that an Architect was responsible for the design of buildings, that's when he decided that he wanted to become an Architect.

Ron attended the University of Michigan School of Architecture and Design on a full tuition Alumni Scholarship. He completed the five year program, and received his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1957. He also completed a four year Air Force Reserve Training porgram, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on July 1957. After marrying Roberta "Bobbie" Krause in September 1957, he reported for active duty at March Air Force Base on May 1958, and lived in Riverside, California. Susan was born at the base hospital in September 1958.

Ron was assigned duty at Headquarters 15th Air Force, Strategic Air Command, Directorate of Engineering, Facilities and Planning, as Chief of the Planning Branch. He was responsible for the airbase master planning and facilities site planning for various SAC airbases in the western half of the United States. He was also a member of the missile survey and site selection team for the Atlas and Titan missile complexes. On March 1960, Ron was relieved from active duty, and assigned to the Air Force Reserves (He was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain on June 2, 1970). The family moved into a new home is San Diego, and Ron was hired as a draftsman at a local Architectural firm. Unfortunately, the marriage ended in divorce seeral months later.

On December 1961, Ron and Janis Didricksen were married in Christ Lutheran Church in Pacific Beach, and bought a new home in the Clairemont area of San Diego. They started a family and had two sons, Gregory and Mark, and a daughter, Adele. After Ron completed his architectural apprenticeship, he took the California State Board Architectural Examination, and received his license to practice as an Architect on December 1962.

The family attended Atonement Lutheran Church, and Ron served on the church council and helped in the construction of the classroom building. The home on Mount Abraham rapidly became cramped for the growing family, so on September 1972 they moved into a larger home on Warmwell Drive in the Lake Murray area.

Ron in the family became members of St Andrews Lutheran Church. After commenting to the pastor on the drab appearance of the sanctuary and other conditions that needed attention, pastor Quarberg appointed Ron and Mary Ann Muzzo to plan the renovation of the sanctuary. The altar area was reconfigured, and a new freestanding wood altar and other furniture was designed by Ron. With the help and generous donations of many church members, the work was completed in time for Christmas services in 1973.

In 1982, Ron and Jan separated, and their 21-year marriage ended in divorce. In 1985, Ron placed an advertisement in a singles newspaper for 3 months, July through September. However, as a special offer the newspaper added the month of October free. Ron received and responded to many replies, but the letter he received and responded to at the end of October was the charm. Ron and Trudy Spinks Hinnah were married by Pastor Phil Berry at St Andrews on May 3, 1986.

During his professional career as an architect for 38 years, Ron was associated with over 50 significant projects of various building types in the San Diego area and in other California cities, as a project architect at various architectural firms in the San Diego area. He was also employed by the San Diego Unified School district, as a school building inspector for a year, and then as the assistant schools architect for almost 6 years. Ron also had his own architectural practice for 2 years. He retired on January 1, 2000.

Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Alexander (1977) and Stella (1999) Rogers. He has survived by his loving wife Trudy Rogers; his four children, daughter Susan (Dermer) Rogers and husband, Dave; son Gregory Rogers; daughter Adele Sandberg and husband, Jim; Son Mark Rogers; his eight grandchildren, Brent, Brian, Blake, and Bryce Dermer; Rochelle, Brenna, and Colton Sandberg; and Devyn Rogers; his great grandchildren, Joseph, Cody, and Lillian Dermer, Reese Marie Carpenter, Clayton James Stoner, Rylan Grace Stoner, and Nash Lawrence Stoner: sister, Lorraine Rhoades and husband Charles; his brother Robert Rogers and wife Nancy; and his nephews, Mike, John, and Christopher Rhoades, and Steven Rogers; and his nieces Sharon Rhoades Giles and Michelle Rogers Sacka; his three stepchildren by marriage to Trudy; daughter (Cindy Altice deceased) and husband, Art; son Jeff and wife, Debbie; daughter Ann Storms and husband, Dana; his 8 step grandchildren by marriage to Trudy; Amanda and Adam Altice; Melanie, Wesley, and Aaron Hinnah; and Whitney, Karly, and Brooke Storms.