Roll Call Tribute

Dr. “Jimmy” James Lee Rogers
February 9th, 1941 - February 15th, 2022 (81 years)

Dr. "Jimmy" James Lee Rogers was born on February 9, 1941, in Austin, Texas to parents Minnie (26-year-old librarian) & Bruce Rogers (38-year-old Ford car salesman). He accomplished a great deal in his 81 years and met his end-of-life goals. He passed away on February 15th, 2022 from more ailments than listed in a Merck Manual.

Dr. Rogers is a descendant of one of the world’s longest lineages & was a proud 5th generation Texan. He was a cattle rancher in Cherokee, Texas on the same land that his ancestors homesteaded. His family was also one of the original residents in the close-knit neighborhood of 78704 in South Austin which overlooks Town Lake, Zilker Park, downtown Austin, & Barton Springs. He spent the majority of his life in that “treehouse” that his parents & grandparents built.

Jimmy attended Zilker Elementary School & Fulmore Middle School. One of his first paid jobs was serving his country as a Legislative Page at the Texas State Capitol in 8th grade. Jimmy graduated from Travis High School in 1959. During his school years, he took on the grandiose titles of class president, Valentines King, Captain of the Travis Rebels football team, class clown, National honor roll student, ballroom dancer, track & baseball star.

Jimmy served as a Lieutenant of the Aggie Corps Cadets Company A-3 & was the Vice President of the Austin Hometown Club while attending Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Although he was both pre-medical & pre-dental with a minor in world history, he graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science & became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1965.

Dr “Jimmy” James Lee Rogers will be on role call in the 2022 Texas A&M Aggie Muster on April 21st, 2022 in all of his club locations of Austin, Highland Lakes, & College Station. This annual reverence is held for the fallen Aggies & hosts a military ceremony to honor his lifelong legacy of leadership, devotion to tradition, commitment to comradery & principled character. His spirit will live on as the 12th Man showing support from the sidelines.

Jimmy is reveled by four generations of Aggie alumni ancestors. Billy Rogers (brother) ’58, Dan Rogers (nephew) ’88, Laura Rogers (wife of nephew) ’88, Amanda Rogers Simmons (grandniece) ’15, James
Simmons (husband of grandniece) ’15, Sarah Rogers (fiance of grandnephew) ’22 & many relatives who proudly wave their own Aggie towel & share in the family Texas Aggies traditions.

Dr. Rogers served his country as a Captain of the Veterinary Corps in the United States Army Medical Detachment from 1965 - 1969 in Paris & Orleans, France, and Heidelberg, Germany. He was the post-veterinarian for the military officers. After he finished his service, he continued to tour Europe in his Ford Mustang & later his VW bus in his independent study of world history, architecture, traditions & military strategy.

Dr. Rogers returned to his roots in Austin, Texas. In 1970, Dr. Rogers partnered with the respected Dr. Richie at Congress Avenue Veterinary Hospital. Once Dr. Richie retired, Dr. Rogers founded The Lone Star Veterinary Hospital in South Austin. In 1991, Dr. Rogers was officiated as the Governor’s Official Veterinarian by Texas Governor Ann Richards. The Austin Chronicle awarded him the best business slogan
for “No Lips. No Service.” in 1992. He was widely respected & had a reputation for being an old-school vet that shoots it to you straight whether you want to hear it or not & the most reasonably priced vet in Austin. As an animal rights advocate, he said that his greatest honor was in helping animals peacefully & painlessly transition from Earth to Heaven. He dutifully served his community as a top veterinary doctor in the city, county & state for 50 years as still rated some five years post-retirement. His clients of several generations were devastated when Dr. Rogers retired in 2016 due to health issues & closed the doors of his practice.

In 1975, Jimmy married Bettye Ann Siddons. They had two children Lee & Annabeth. He had six grandchildren. In his final years, he moved in with his daughter, granddaughter & ex-wife of nearly 40 years. Bebe upheld her end of the deal despite divorce & honored her oath in sickness & in health til death do us part.

Dr. Rogers was preceded in death by his parents Minnie & Bruce Rogers, his big brother Billy Rogers, his sister-in-law Nancy Rogers, his half-brothers Texas State Representative & Senator Johnnie B. Rogers & Bruce F. Rogers Jr, & many dear friends and classmates.

Dr. Rogers’ body was laid to rest in the family cemetery in Cherokee, Texas next to his parents, grandparents, & many generations of his ancestors. His casket was given a cowboy tribute & was branded with the Rogers Ranch insignia.

Dr. Rogers is survived by: his daughter Annabeth Rogers & granddaughter Isabella; his son Lee Rogers, son’s wife Whitney, & their children Luke, Logan, Josephine, Lyndon, & William; his ex-wife Bettye
Ann Rogers; his nephew Dan Rogers, his nephew’s wife Laura & their extended family with his grandnephew Samuel; his grandnephew Christopher & his fiancé Sarah; their daughter Amanda, her husband James Simmons, & their children; and his niece Carrie.

He was a one-of-a-kind & unforgettable man with a contagious smile & a story to tell. If you’ll give him a listen, he’ll give you a laugh. 

He ”relished” in many meaningful, lifelong friendships with classmates & neighbors who kindly checked on him, kept him motivated & celebrated him in his final years.

He was loved dearly & will be missed tremendously by all who were lucky enough to know him. 

Dr. Rogers would motivate his clients to have hope & keep the faith by saying, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters.”. In the end, Jimmy proved that it’s not his strength, but his indomitable willpower to preserve & overcome all obstacles in his path.

Dr “Jimmy” James Lee Rogers finished strong, never quit, did it his way, & retained bragging rights all the way.

Reading obituaries was Jimmy’s favorite daily activity. He enjoyed learning about people’s biography. He would have appreciated those that took the time to read his and even more if you played a role in his life story.

Gig ‘em Aggies! Farmers Fight! Rogers Strong!