Paul James Rogers

Paul James Rogers, 86, died on November 3, 2024, in Chandler, Arizona. Paul was born in Phoenix in 1938 to William Ezra and Dovie (Lout) Rogers; he was the seventh of nine children. He was a member of the Tempe Union High School Class of 1957 and is in their Hall of Fame for three sports. After high school, Paul went on to Arizona State University, where he joined the baseball team and was a catcher for the legendary Coach Bobby Winkles. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in catcher position and played professional minor league baseball for two years; the scout who found him had been Babe Ruth’s roommate. Paul then returned to ASU, where he earned his BA and MA in education. He joined Gililland Junior High School, where he taught PE, and thus began his teaching and coaching career. Paul served for six years in the US National Guard and was a true lover of the American flag.

Paul began singing at age 27. He moved to Reno, Nevada to live with his brother, Dave, who had a country music band, and began his second career as a guitar-playing singer and lover of classic country music. Dave and Paul bought a club in Reno, The Bit and Spur, where they entertained nightly. In 1969, Paul and Dave formed The Rogers Brothers Band. They opened for The Buck Owens Show, entertained nightly at the Union Plaza in Las Vegas, and backed many popular country artists of the time. One of Paul’s cherished stories from his days as a professional musician was of the time he went upstairs after a long night of playing, only to find Mel Tillis asleep in his bed!

Paul taught at Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada for 20 years while living in Gardnerville and Smith Valley. He coached girls’ varsity basketball for three years and was an assistant coach for varsity baseball for nine years. While his boys were young, he coached Little League baseball. Paul maintained lifelong friendships with fellow coaches Hal Wheeler, Steve Wilcox, and Rick Booth. He loved to play slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball as a catcher with Hal and Steve. Upon retirement, he returned to Tempe, then moved to Prescott and, finally, Chandler. Even though he was retired from teaching, Paul never retired from music; he continued entertaining on stage and enjoyed jamming with friends. The crowd truly loved his “Ring of Fire” during his Johnny Cash medley. He was a member of the Greater Arizona Country Music Association Hall of Fame.

Paul is survived by his beloved spouse, Shirley Sobotta, as well as the family members
listed below.

The following was written by Paul:
Dear Family and Friends,
This will be my final greeting to you, as l am going on another journey, God willing. Hopefully, I’ll have a family reunion with my folks, siblings, and some very dear friends, but especially I hope to see my beautiful daughter, Stacy Kathleen, who I lost too soon; my favorite brother, David Leo, who I protected when we were kids and who was my partner in entertainment and adventures; and, of course, my best friend, Don Jeisy.

I am sorry I have to leave behind the love of my life, Shirley, and my wonderful children and grandchildren. To each of you, I love you so very much and am so proud of you personally and for what each of you accomplished in your lives, and this extends to your spouses. No man could have been better blessed. So to Amy Frost, David Crown, Elizabeth and Jean-Marc Messmer, Jake and Kathy Rogers, Bradley and Tracie Rogers, Jen and Jeff Booth, Robin Sobotta and Tom Roush, and Carla Pollock; and to my grandchildren, Lexi, Luke, Jessie, Molly, Sophie, Kate, Taylor, Brynn, Brittany, Eloise, Greg, RJ, Raiden, Ember, Kevin, and spouses: whether near or far, I loved you very much. Thank you to my great doctors, cardiologists Dr. Timothy Byrne and Dr. Robert Stomel, primary physician Dr. Rajiv Jetly, and dermatologist Sarah Neumann, for keeping me well and active for the last ten years. To my special close friends who I talked with several times a week or a few times a year, and you know who you are, our conversations meant so much to me and I loved you.

I was a little boy who, at seven, preached to the neighborhood kids standing on a peach crate. My mom thought I would be a Pentecostal preacher. I guess, however, she was pleased that I was the only one of her nine kids who graduated from high school and went on to get bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

I was a teacher and an entertainer, and I got my shot with the San Francisco Giants.

My motto was to always say “I love you” when saying goodbye, as you don’t know if you will ever see that person again. It was a wonderful life and a helluva party, especially because you were all part of it.

I love you all. — Paul, Dad, Grandpa, Grampaul, Pops, Coach

A Celebration of Life for Paul will be held in Gardnerville, Nevada next summer.

Condolences and favorite memories may be shared at www.buelerfuneralhome.com