Robert Willard Rogers

Bob was born on August 3rd, 1932 to Stein and Margaret Rogers in Seattle, WA. Stein and Margaret moved shortly thereafter to the Los Angeles area after Bob was born. Bob attended Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, and played varsity football, and graduated with honors in 1940. After graduation Bob attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated in 1954. Bob was then commissioned to the US Air Force as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the Air Force Nuclear & Ballistic Warfare Program in Albuquerque New Mexico, where his first two children Shirley & Rob were born 1955, and 1956 respectively.

After two years in Albuquerque Bob was re-assigned to the Atlas Missile program located at the Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB) located in El Segundo, CA. Originally, Western Development Division “Air Research and Development Command” This base is currently “Space Systems Command”. Bob’s third child Ron was born in Los Angles in 1958.

Bob left the Air Force as a Captain in 1959 after serving 5 years to pursue his own entrepreneurial endeavors. His first endeavor came about because of his daughter Shirley, having an in-toe gait (pigeon toe). Bob patented a splint for this condition and founded “Ortho Aides Inc”.

Another of Bob’s pursuits was obtaining his Land Real Estate Brokers License, which involved land acquisitions in Hawaii and New Mexico.

In 1974 Bob met Lillian Oda his wife for over 50 years. Bob was living in downtown Los Angeles at the Bunker Hill Towers, where Lillian was also living at the time. Bob had recently moved there as a result of becoming the marketing manager and leasing agent of the Los Angles World Trade Center, which was under construction.

After construction was completed at the Los Angles World Trade Center, Bob founded the Intercontinental Visa Service. Bob worked closely with this business along with Lillian, his daughter Shirley, and Tony who was of Samoan royalty and lineage.

During this time Bob had acquired a hobby of spending his weekends at the San Pedro National Steel Ship Scrapping Facility with his friend Bob Coates. World War 2 ships were coming out of the moth ball fleet from Hawaii and San Francisco for salvage. Bob was passionate about restoring the bridge hardware and equipment which he restored and later donated to various naval museums.

After retiring from the Intercontinental Visa Service, Bob spent his remaining years involved with the Naval Academy alumni association, arranging monthly get togethers, re-unions, and other events with his close classmates. His passion & love for the Naval Academy never left him. “Go Navy beat Army”

Bob woke up every morning saying “Up and At’em, Rise and Shine, Another day in which to excel” Bob’s last days were still thinking he had more to accomplish and get done. He wasn’t ready to go, and never would have been.

Bob is survived by his wife Lillian, his daughter Shirley, his two son’s Rob & Ron, Four grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren.