Reuben R Rodgers' Obituary
Reuben "Roy" Rodgers February 1, 1936 - February 22, 2018
"A great loss of a great man … rest peacefully."
Surrounded by his loving family Roy Rodgers left us and peacefully entered the waiting arms of his wife Cathy on February 22nd, 2018. Although we are saddened by his passing we are happy that they are together again to sail off on the Gulf of Mexico as they had dreamed.
Reuben Roy Rodgers was born February 1st, 1936 in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. "Roy" as he was better known to everyone, grew up in the North Battleford, Saskatchewan area graduating from the North Battleford Composite High School and later graduating from the University of Saskatch-ewan, Faculty of Engineering. He married Donna Reavley in 1958 and they were blessed with three sons, Reuben Jeffrey, Kerry Dean Morgan, and Donald Roy. Roy was a Civil Engineer and ran the Co-op Engineering Program at the University of Regina for many years.
On August 21st, 1981 Roy married Catherine Jeanne (Kimball) Kesslar and bravely took on the dangerous role of raising her two young daughters Tammy Laural Mary and Jodi Lynn. They lived and worked in Calgary, Alberta until the summer of 1984 when they moved to Florida. Roy was very proud to pass the Florida Real Estate Broker Examination, and eventually he and Cathy be-came the proud owner/operators of Roy Rodgers Construction and Business Services Etcetera. Cathy passed away in August 2000 and a few years later Roy retired due to his health. Roy lived in Pinellas Park and most recently in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
Roy always signed his name as "R3". He loved to be on the water in his boat with his two co-captains, Cathy and Lady Chelsea Layne. He and Mom would pick up Christie and Justin for breakfast and take them on the boat just to go to McDonalds on the docks with the "sail-through window". Mom and Dad loved the outdoors in every way, they regularly took us skiing, hiking, and “camping” in Humphrey the motorhome of course. Dad was a true jokester and loved playing jokes on everyone. He would make us buy back our own things at a garage sale. He loved being a Grandfather and spoiling his grandchildren. His happiest activity during his retirement was having more time to spend spoiling his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Roy was very proud of his Irish heritage and was quick to salute it with “Erin Go Bragh” and many a departing visitor was given a wish of “May the road rise up to meet you!” However Roy recently discovered that his heritage is more Scottish than Irish and he was proud of that too. So Roy we salute you with “Erin Go Bragh” and to his many friends and family on Roy’s behalf we give the Irish wish of “May the road rise up to meet you!” and from the Scottish side “Lang may yer lum reek!”
He will be missed more than he will ever know.
Roy was predeceased by his wife Cathy, his parents, his sister and brother-in-law Doreen and Jack Cumberland, father-in-law Stan Kimball, son-in-law Scott Clark, sister-in-law Cherryl Kimball Comrie, brother-in-law Robbie Kimball, and nephew Matthew Kimball.
Roy is survived by his two daughters, three sons, 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren: daughter Tammy & Brady Daykin (Brandon, Florida) and their four children Christie (Marcelino) Nieves, Justin Clark, Taylor Daykin and Hunter Daykin; daughter Jodi Rodgers & Tari Denehy (Saint Petersburg, Florida) and their eight children Leiana Denehy, Taya Denehy, Cameron Wood, Nate Denehy, Derek Denehy, Mariya Denehy, Alyanna Wood, and Keysha Denehy; his sons Jeff Rodgers, Kerry Rodgers and his children Jenna, Nicole and Reuben Rodgers; and Donald Rodgers all of Regina, Saskatchewan; and the sweetest apples of his eye, his great-grandchildren Payton, Cody Jr. and Enzo Nieves.
Roy is also survived by his mother-in-law Dorothy (Kimball) Boszak and sister-in-law Cindy Kim-ball both of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; brothers-in-law, Doug (Sandra) Comrie of Langley, British Columbia and Kim (Sandra) Kimball and David (Kim) Kimball, both of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends throughout Canada and the USA.
Cremation has taken place. Arrangements are pending and will be announced when completed. Please check back. Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5750 - 49th Street North, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33709 Phone 1-727-369-8228 www.memorialparkfuneralhome.com
Tammy (Rodgers Clark) Daykin
You were very brave and highly successful in that most dangerous role of raising your loving daughters. Thank you for giving us a happy life and always loving us Dad!
Tammy
Jodi Rodgers
What can I say about a man that gave me so many great memories and taught me so much more?
As a little girl, one of my best memories was always stealing your seat when you would get up...only to have you come back and trap me in the chair. Sometimes it worked to your advantage and I would give but one time you had me giggling so hard and would not let me off the chair that you paid the price by me peeing down your back!
Growing up we were always on the go on the weekends. Packing up the camper and heading off for an adventure. Banff was a popular place for us to go a lot. We camped, we hiked, we skied...we were introduced to nature and all the beauty it holds.
You gave Tammy and I a great running start at life and I will be forever grateful. You were an amazing husband, a great father and a cherished grandfather. All the fun times and laughs are go-ing to be treasured and remembered for always by so many hearts and lives that you touched...mine for one, has a piece forever missing.
Go rest easy and live your dreams. Give Mom a hug and kiss for me. I love you and miss you terri-bly.
Love your daughter
Jodi
Kerry Rodgers
Thanks for raising me old school. Teaching me that black eyes and bloody noses pass quickly, but the pride of not backing down and standing your ground stays with you forever. I'll miss you dear-ly ya old fart!
Kerry
Dorothy (Kimball) Boszak
I love the thought that Roy and Cathy are boating together in the Gulf. We have soooo many good memories. Roy and I share a special bond and loved to "pick" on each other. One of my favorite memories of picking on each other is Roy's ability to snitch my Bic lighter and leave an empty one in it's place every time they visited. Cathy told me that he would flaunt that he got away with it by putting it on the dash after they had driven far enough away that Cathy wouldn't make him take it back. One year for Christmas he gave me a beautifully wrapped box of chocolates but to my de-light it was filled with a colorful array of Bic lighters. I thought that was pretty nice of him to re-place all the ones he'd snitched on me but the joke was on me again because yes! they were all empty! Roy laughed until he cried and we both snickered every time we thought about it.
Roy loved seafood but he loved his grandchildren more. I remember the time we went to Crabby Bill’s and he ordered King crab legs and he let little Christie (about 4 at the time) have the first one he had cracked open but before he finished cracking the next one for himself she was ready to eat it too. This continued, Roy cracked the meat and Christie ate it, and before long Roy ordered an-other plate of King crab legs so he could have some but she ate most of those too! He was so proud because his tiny little granddaughter could eat as many crab legs as he could. They always asked for two orders after that.
My thoughts and love are with you all today, wish I could be there with you girls.
Mom / Grandma Dot
Cindy Kimball
Happy trails to you Roy Rodgers! You were one of kind … the best kind! You will always hold a special place in my memories and my heart. Thank you for being you and loving my sister and her girls the way you did and for putting up with the rest of us!
Cindy
David Kimball
My fondest memories of Roy are somewhat varied. We had fun with him, but also had some good laughs at his expense, for example, the time he backed into the lonely light pole in the huge parking lot when picking Cathy up. And the time he rear ended the car ahead of us in the automated “put your car in neutral” carwash. Roy was instrumental in kindling my love of salsa and tortilla chips; he gave me my first cup of warmed sake on my 18th birthday at the Japanese Village in Calgary with Cathy, Roy, Tammy and Jodi, and I learned how to "borrow" the salsa containers from Taco Time by watching Roy. One of my favorite memories is the winter break at Radium Hot Springs, where we stayed in the cabins.
Thanks for the memories Roy!
Dave
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