Wayne Cleland Rodgers

Wayne Cleland Rodgers

Wayne Cleland Rodgers, 87, passed away Saturday (Oct. 4, 2008) in Vancouver, Wash. He was born on Nov. 7, 1920, in Newton to Sidney Frank Vogt and Myrtle Ellen Rodgers. His Aunt Bertha Zook, who preceded him in death in 2007, was a beloved person in his life and was instrumental in his upbringing. He attended elementary and high school in Newton and pursued a career as an industrial electrician in Seattle. He married Helen Wagner in 1941, and they had four children: James, Marilyn, Robert and William.

He married Florence Boyd in 1971.

He married Alyce James in 1999.

Wayne served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946. His career included work as an electrician for Boeing in Wichita and for Robbins Electrical Co. in Kent, Wash. He spent many years performing installation of huge tunnel boring machines, which took him to Canada and Italy, as well as the United States.

Wayne was an outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, as evidenced by all the photos of Wayne with a string of fish. He also was an avid golfer who played many courses throughout the western United States. He also spent many hours restoring vintage Mustangs and Thunderbirds.

Wayne is survived by his wife Alyce; his four children, James, Marilyn, Robert and William; stepdaughters, Lesley Bremer and Jane Johnson; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; eight step-grandchildren; and 15 step-great-grandchildren.