Mr. John Philip Rogers

John Philip Rogers, 86, of Alpharetta, GA passed away peacefully on August 19, 2018 with his wife, Dianne, by his side after a long brave battle with lung cancer and COPD. Philip (Phil) Rogers was born on October 5, 1931, in Harrisonville, MO, the son of Carrie Margaret Harper and Floyd Elijah (Jack) Rogers. He grew up and was educated in Columbia, Mo. Attending the University of Missouri before and after his army service during the Korean War, he graduated in 1955. His marriage that year to Elizabeth Hay of Conyers, GA brought him to Georgia where his four children were born. Twelve years after their marriage ended in 1973, he married Dianne Jordan in 1984, and they remained devoted partners for almost 35 years until his death. He is survived by his wife, Dianne, his sons, John Philip Rogers, Jr. (Patty), Christopher Rogers, David Rogers, and daughter, Elizabeth Rogers Kimbrell(David), and six grandchildren, Paul Rogers, Rachel Worley, Alex Kimbrell, Elizabeth(Ellie)Kimbrell, Thomas Rogers, and Alexa Rogers. Shortly before his death he met his first great grandson Albert Harper Worley born June 30, 2018. He is also survived by Isabel Rogers, Elizabeth Davis and many nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceeded in death by his parents, his brothers, Carl and David, and his sister, Dorothy. After coming to Georgia, he worked with Mead Corp., Geico Ins. and the Rockdale Citizen newspaper before going to work for the State of Georgia. His service to the state began with the Georgia Bicentennial Commission (Secretary of State Office) and then the Employees Retirement System. He soon transferred to the Teachers Retirement System where he developed and managed the Counseling and Information Division and served a brief time as Assistant Director of the Agency retiring in 1998 with 23 years of dedicated service to Georgia. Aside from his family, he had a passion for reading, singing, and hiking. During his life he accumulated many, many books resulting in the need to build a library to house them. Most of them got read, some even multiple times. During the last years of his life his eyesight was limited due to macular degeneration, but he spent time reading with his special reading machine and his ipad. When he was not reading you could find him hiking with Dianne or his sons somewhere in the mountains. He loved the Appalachian Trail and was a member of the Appalachian Trail Conference/Conservancy regularly attending annual meetings. Philip began singing as a child and sang for his whole life. He took lessons as a child and an adult; sang at the Chautauqua Summer Sessions in New York as a young man: worked with various local opera companies in the Atlanta area: was a paid singer at several churches, and spent many years singing in his own church choir. A Methodist all his life, in 2006, Philip and Dianne became a part of St Aidan’s Episcopal Church which he loved very much. He joined the choir immediately and was active in the church programs until recently when his health prevented it. His memorial service will be held Friday, August 24, 2018 at 11:00am at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 13560 Cogburn Rd., Milton, GA 30004. His ashes will be interred in the Memorial Garden of the church. A reception will follow immediately in Burtenshaw Hall on the church premises. In lieu of flowers, donations to his memory may be made to St. Aidan’s for the Friends of Music or to a charity of your choice.

Mr. John Philip Rogers

October 5, 1931 - August 19, 2018