Cover photo for Ronald "Ron" L. Rodgers's Obituary
Ronald "Ron" L. Rodgers Profile Photo
1919 Ronald 2016

Ronald "Ron" L. Rodgers

July 14, 1919 — May 4, 2016

Ronald “Ron” LaVern Rodgers, 96, died peacefully May 4, 2016, in his home surrounded by family. Ron was born July 14, 1919 at home in Mendota, MO. Because of the Great Depression, his family moved to Des Moines, IA when he was 11 years old. He graduated from De Moines North High School in 1938 and that fall entered the engineering program at Iowa State University. He also joined the football team as a defensive end.

Ron was drafted by the Army in Mar. of 1941 and on Aug. 1 entered the Army Corp of Engineers as an enlisted man doing his basic training at Fort Lenard Wood, MO. After basic he stayed on at Fort Lenard Wood as a Drill Sergeant. On Aug. 12, 1942, he started Officer's Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Belvoir, VA. Completing OCS Ron was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers and was assigned to the 504th Engineering Light Pontoon Bridge Company.

Ron, along with the 504th, shipped to Calcutta, India via the Suez Canal in Sep. 1943. On Apr. 16, 1944, the 504th moved to a tent camp in Ledo, India to work on the Ledo Road, which was planned to provide access to China by going across Burma. On Aug. 4, 1944, Ron and the 504th moved to Myitkyina, Burma continuing work on the Ledo Road. Near the end of WWII on Sep. 15, 1945, Ron was promoted to Captain and on the same day he, with the 504th, boarded a ship for home. They arrived in New York Nov. 29, 1945.

When Ron arrived back in the States he moved back in with his parent in Des Moines, IA and enrolled at Drake University. There in Jan. 1946, he met his future wife, Shirley Earhart. He was officially discharged from the Army on Mar 1, 1946. A year later, Ron left college and started working for Standard Oil Company as a salesman on the management training track. Ron and Shirley had continued to date and were married on Jul. 10, 1949.

A loyal Standard Oil company man, Ron was transferred to 5 different cities in the first 3 years of his marriage to Shirley. The family moved from Des Moines to Rock Island, then to Ames, then to Harlan where their first son, Barry, was born. Then they moved to Ottumwa and then back to Des Moines in Jul. of 1952. In Nov. 1954 Ron was transferred to Green Bay, WI. His wife Shirley was 7 months pregnant. For the next 5 months, Ron worked out of the Northland Hotel in Green Bay and tried to get back to Des Moines on weekends. In Jan. 1955, their 2nd child, Brad, was born in Des Moines. In May 1955, Shirley brought Barry (4 yrs) and Brad (3 months) via a DC-3 airliner to live in Green Bay.

In Mar. 1959, their daughter Beth was born and then in Jun. 1959 Standard Oil again required that Ron transfer back to Des Moines. As a result, he left the company after 12 years so the family could stay in Green Bay. By that time, Ron and Shirley had many friends and had come to love Green Bay. Ron then joined Gustafson Oil Company to sell asphalt and ended up staying with this company for 28 years through his retirement on Dec. 31, 1987. During Ron's tenure, Gustafson Oil was acquired by Koch Industries and he became Vice President of Sales.

Ron was a well-rounded athlete. In high school he was the heavy weight wrestling champion of the city of Des Moines the first year he went out. He got a football scholarship to Iowa State University. He also played semi-pro softball. After starting a family, he continued to participate in sporting activities by bowling on a team with former Packers Andy Uram and Tony Canadeo along with many other friends. He enjoyed golfing and continued to golf into his 90's. He was also a serious fan of the Green Bay Packers. He owned season tickets even before Lambeau Field was built and rarely missed a game.

As a boy during the Great Depression, Ron went on regular fishing trips on the Des Moines River with his father and uncle. These were often multi day trips that involved camping on islands in the river. Ron spent the rest of his life enjoying fishing. He especially loved solitary brook trout fishing up north. Second only to fishing was Ron's love for snowmobiling. In 1967 he bought his first Arctic Cat snowmobile. After that, exploring undiscovered trails up north became his winter passion and he continued to be an avid snowmobiler until he was 82.

Ron is survived by his wife of 66 years, Shirley (Earhart) Rodgers, Green Bay; children: Barry (Barb) Rodgers, Algoma, Dr. Bradley Rodgers, Greenville, NC, and Beth Rodgers, Green Bay; grandchildren: Lauren (Jake) LeCloux, Green Bay and Mallory Mahaffey, St. Paul, MN; and great-grandchildren: Ethan and Colin LeCloux.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, John Jr. and Ruth (Dilliner) Rodgers, Lakeview, AR and many dear friends and family members.


Visitation will be held at Malcore Funeral Home East, 701 N. Baird St. Green Bay, WI on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 from 1 pm- 2pm. Service will be held at 2 pm. Full military honors will follow the service. To leave an online condolence for the family please visit www.Malcorefuneralhome.com .

The family would like to thank Dr. Sze and all his staff, as well as the staff of Allouez Parkside Village and Heartland Hospice for their wonderful care.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ronald "Ron" L. Rodgers, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Funeral

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

2:00 - 2:30 pm (Central time)

Malcore Funeral Home & Crematory East

701 N Baird St, Green Bay, WI 54302

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