CAPTAIN WALLACE FREDRICK RODGERS

born in Geraldine, Mont. on Aug. 9, 1922, and retired Naval Captain, succumbed after a heroic battle with cancer on April 27, 2008.

Services will be held at the Green Valley Community Church on May 3, 2008, at 3 p.m. with reception immediately following.

Wally graduated from Grant High School in Portland, Ore. where he was very active in sports. He attended the University of Oregon for two years where he joined the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, played football and baseball, and boxed. There, he enlisted in the Navy ROTC and was sent to UCLA, where he graduated with a degree in Economics (1944). The U.S. Navy sent Wally to the Harvard Business School after college, and later to the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., where he received a Master's Degree in International Relations. He also attended the Premier Military School - the International College of the Armed Forces (“ICAF”) in Washington, D.C., where he received a Master's in Business Administration.

While serving the military during his years of service. Captain Rodgers had many different duty stations including three tours of duty in Washington, D.C., Bremerton, Wash., Long Beach, Calif., Hawaii, Spain, and China (pre-Korea). These were interspersed with sea duty aboard many ships during WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

He retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of service. He then worked for the City of Santa Barbara as its Finance Director, and sold commercial real estate until his wife’s polio required more care. He built a home at Clear Lake in Northern California where they lived 12 years, until a visit to a friend in Green Valley prompted him to build a home where he lived for 16 years.

He served as an active member and president of Military Officers’ Association (Arizona and California), was a member of Country Club of Green Valley, Camera Club, and the Green Valley American Legion, Elks, and Phi Delt Fraternity and enjoyed gardening, wood working in his shop, family, traveling, and the camaraderie of many friends.

He is survived by son Rick (Lorie) Rodgers of Sacramento, Calif.; daughter Elizabeth (Tim) Andrews of Ventura, Calif.; grandson Mark (Trista) Bucy; and great-granddaughter Sierra of Ventura. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Dorothy Eggan Sawyer Rodgers. He will be greatly missed by all, including his beloved wife of eight years Jean Nielsen Simmons Henry Rodgers and four acquired children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.