Friends, Joe & Charlotte Hernandez
This memorial website was created in memory of our much-loved Chuck Rogers who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Please use this page to share with us your memories and photos of Chuck throughout his life.
Chucks memorial service was held on:
Friday, April 20, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.
St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church
11610 Atwood Road
Auburn, CA 95603
At the reception that followed in the Church gymnasium, both family, friends and students spoke of Chucks life & the legacy of strength and devotion he left behind. We would like to thank everyone who was able to come and share in his memory, along with those that were unable to attend, but whose thoughts and prayers were truly felt. We know he was proud and so very thankful for all the kind words, loving thoughts and hilarious stories that were shared. It is these stories, experiences and people that helped make his life truly amazing.
In lieu of flowers, we asked donations be made in memory to:
https://www.gofundme.com/charles-rogers-memorial-scholarship
or by check to:
FUHSD
c/o Charles Rogers Memorial Scholarship Fund
589 W. Fremont Avenue Sunnyvale CA 94087
Thank You to everyone that donated. Because of your generosity, we were able to raise $5,000 to help a FUHSD student achieve their college dream.
We miss you Dad.
Tributes
Leave a tributeFriends, Joe & Charlotte Hernandez
you would have been proud today. a beautiful mass and tribute to you. you had so many people telling stories of you and how they loved you. by the huge crowd that was there says a lot about you dear friend. we were proud to attend. carol had the tears burning in her eyes, and the love for you blazing in her heart. god bless, Marilyn falls
Taking a moment to share how you made a great positive impact on my life, you will be forever missed and always in our thoughts.
One of my first memories of Chuck was at 14 years old boy, this scrawny 115 pound and barely five foot freshman football player at Lynbrook High School was standing with my fellow JV teammates about to have our 1st live tackling drill. You were in front of us giving the team a speech on all of the contact sports (basketball, hockey, lacrosse), you built up your message to football that was truly the only “collision” sport. You talked about the safety, of keeping your head up, exploding, and wrapping as you tackled. You also talked about the importance of giving it your all, being fearless, while controlled. At the time, your speech had me so motivated, I would have marched my 115lbs over to the Varsity squad and taken on any of the young men 3x my size. As I somewhat grew in size so did the opportunities for me with LHS football as I became quarterback for the JV and then Varsity. You coached the defense side of the ball however, you made a profound impact on me during those years. You would often pull me aside during games and encourage and challenged me to lead. You gave me great confidence during those moments and while the outcome of many of those LHS football games didn’t go our way, I found leadership from you in those moments that I have carried with me into adulthood.
As Joel and I became better friends in high school and of course Joel becoming even better friends with my sister Shannon :) it became clear that our family paths would be more greatly aligned for decades to come. I was fortunate to get to know you as a father, you became a friend to me and my family, and you were an important figure in my family’s life as not just as Chuck, but also as “Papa Chuck..” As Jodie and I moved up to your neck of the woods in 2007, you once again pulled me aside at one of Joel’s family BBQ’s and said how happy you were that we chose to live in the Lincoln area, you said, “I’m really looking forward to watching you guys raise your families..” That meant a lot to me, and it made Jodie and I feel at home in a new area for us. You helped to teach me the importance of spending quality time with your family, friends and tradition. I will never forget the great memories of you in action at the annual Donner Horseshoe Tournament with your megaphone speaker keeping the many tournament games going to ensure the championship games took place before sundown.
Chuck, you were always there to tell a good joke, thank you for introducing me to Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash as they pair so very well with an adult beverage.
More importantly, thank you for the positive impacts you made on me and my family and for always making us feel at home.
Forever missed indeed. Love, Dan, Jodie, Sydney, Camryn & Paige.
the first time we met you we saw a gentle giant of a man. we were all so lucky carol brought you into our lives. time was way to short. tom wears your shirts often. he thinks so highly of you. we miss you. gone but not forgotten.
with love tom and marilyn
and we'll always remember the good times we had !!! Pip & Kay & family
At Lynbrook, he pushed us outside of our comfort zone to achieve more than we thought possible. Was a motivator that saw the possibilities in us that we did not yet know existed.
I have had the fortune of knowing him on a personal level by becoming a part of his amazing family when my sister married his son. Admittedly, I felt a bit cheeky calling him Chuck when my peers only respectfully addressed him as Coach Rogers. I cherished the time I spent with both Chuck and Coach more than can be expressed in words.
I want you to know how blessed I am to have gotten to know you and your wonderful family. A person leaving family behind like yours lives on forever in our hearts. Most of all, I want to thank you for bringing light and love to my dear friend Carol's life. I will always remember your sense of humor, kindness and super great smile.
Thanks for the memories,
Nancy Hanson
Only wish I could have seen more of him and his family these latter years, but time has a way of distancing the multitude of past friends who will be remembered forever. God Bless you Chuck and God Bless your family. Katie and I will pray for you at Sunday Mass. After all Mater Dei and Bellarmine Pals do have something in common.
Bob & Katie
On behalf of all of us, we will miss you. You were a good friend in high school.
Helios Joe Hernandez
Mater Dei, Class of 1963
hjh5@sbcglobal.net
Leave a Tribute
Friends, Joe & Charlotte Hernandez
you would have been proud today. a beautiful mass and tribute to you. you had so many people telling stories of you and how they loved you. by the huge crowd that was there says a lot about you dear friend. we were proud to attend. carol had the tears burning in her eyes, and the love for you blazing in her heart. god bless, Marilyn falls
Taking a moment to share how you made a great positive impact on my life, you will be forever missed and always in our thoughts.
One of my first memories of Chuck was at 14 years old boy, this scrawny 115 pound and barely five foot freshman football player at Lynbrook High School was standing with my fellow JV teammates about to have our 1st live tackling drill. You were in front of us giving the team a speech on all of the contact sports (basketball, hockey, lacrosse), you built up your message to football that was truly the only “collision” sport. You talked about the safety, of keeping your head up, exploding, and wrapping as you tackled. You also talked about the importance of giving it your all, being fearless, while controlled. At the time, your speech had me so motivated, I would have marched my 115lbs over to the Varsity squad and taken on any of the young men 3x my size. As I somewhat grew in size so did the opportunities for me with LHS football as I became quarterback for the JV and then Varsity. You coached the defense side of the ball however, you made a profound impact on me during those years. You would often pull me aside during games and encourage and challenged me to lead. You gave me great confidence during those moments and while the outcome of many of those LHS football games didn’t go our way, I found leadership from you in those moments that I have carried with me into adulthood.
As Joel and I became better friends in high school and of course Joel becoming even better friends with my sister Shannon :) it became clear that our family paths would be more greatly aligned for decades to come. I was fortunate to get to know you as a father, you became a friend to me and my family, and you were an important figure in my family’s life as not just as Chuck, but also as “Papa Chuck..” As Jodie and I moved up to your neck of the woods in 2007, you once again pulled me aside at one of Joel’s family BBQ’s and said how happy you were that we chose to live in the Lincoln area, you said, “I’m really looking forward to watching you guys raise your families..” That meant a lot to me, and it made Jodie and I feel at home in a new area for us. You helped to teach me the importance of spending quality time with your family, friends and tradition. I will never forget the great memories of you in action at the annual Donner Horseshoe Tournament with your megaphone speaker keeping the many tournament games going to ensure the championship games took place before sundown.
Chuck, you were always there to tell a good joke, thank you for introducing me to Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash as they pair so very well with an adult beverage.
More importantly, thank you for the positive impacts you made on me and my family and for always making us feel at home.
Forever missed indeed. Love, Dan, Jodie, Sydney, Camryn & Paige.
Appendicitis
During the middle of our 1978 football season at Cupertino, Coach had to have an emergency appendectomy. This laid him up for a few days and I remember visiting him, as a team, at his house. Being the tough guy he was, he decided to return to practice and his coaching duties before he had a chance to fully recover. During one of our drills, Tim Small came charging through a block and grabbed Coach around the waist. Practice came to an abrupt halt as we all watched Coach almost drop to his knees in agony. He thought his stitches got ripped out and we all thought his guts were going to fall out. We weren't sure if we were going to have to call an ambulance. But true to form, Coach hung in there, "rubbed some dirt on it" and learned to stay away from Tim Small the rest of the week. I do remember Tim feeling pretty bad about it though.
Coach
I very much liked and respected Coach, and spent a lot of time with him during our two seasons together. I wish I had many more specific memories of him. However, the three distinct memories I do have of him are indicative of what a good coach and good man he was. I could not have asked for a better coach.
First, was the end of junior year (1982) and we had just lost to Lynbrook in our last game. Our team was not good that year and I was not good that year. As I walked off the field, Coach put his arm around my shoulder and told me I did good and he was looking forward to next year with me as his quarterback. His encouragement had me looking forward to a great season rather than looking back at a crappy season.
Second was at practice early senior year(1983). We were doing form tackling drills (which were horrible because you just had to jog slowly and let a teammate tackle you). Apparently we were not doing it with the enthusiasm that Coach required because he got mad and had everyone stop. He then got down in "correct tackling position" and made me slowly jog so he could show everyone how he wanted it done. This was done with no helmet and his glasses on. He proceeded to stick his face right in my chest, wrap me up, pick me up, and drive back a few yards. Then he put me down, turned to the team, and with his glasses all cockeyed over his nose (my description does not do justice to how he looked) yelled that this was the way he wanted it. I started to laugh at the sight, but a sideways glance from Coach put an end to that. His fire carried over to our team.
Lastly, I had many conversations with Coach as we got ready to take possession of the ball. He would have his hand on my shoulder as he relayed a play to me from Coach Eli up in the booth. His hand was on my shoulder, not for support, but so that he could yank me back after they decided to change the formation or the play. As time ticked away he'd finally just shove me off and tell me I knew what they meant so just go call the play. The one specific conversation I remember was with 1:08 left versus Saratoga. We never discussed kicking the ball, he just asked if I wanted to run a sprint 2. I said "no" because their defensive ends were getting in too quickly. Coach then said, "Ok, 22 trap pass". And that was the play that we ran.
Chuck & Carol Dancing
Chuck & Carol dancing at the Eagles tribute concert at Naggiar winery. Great night!