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, Lexie, 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. 

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