We played ball at Robertson par he was quick I was fast but his smile and his competitive on the court will always be a memory of mine.
In Loving Memory,
Rodger Lee Watkins
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our Dad. This has been extremely difficult time for all of us. We created this website to memorialize our dad and update family, friends, co-workers, and every person he has impacted regarding his funeral and services.
The services were held on the 14th of March, 2024 at the Trinity Lutheran Church on 759 Linden Ave, Long Beach CA 90813.
Please continue to share the website for updates and add stories, pictures or memories you may have of our dad. We are tremendously appreciative of the memories that have been shared with us
He was laid to rest the same day at Forest Lawn Cypress located at 4471 Lincoln Ave, Cypress CA 90630.
Our family was honored to have your attendance at our Dad’s funeral services.
We know he touched a lot of lives and he had friends we never met who would like to pay their respects.
Please check this site and the “about” page regularly for informational updates and on celebration of life details.
We thank all of you who were able to be present at the last court hearing. Your time is valuable, and we are truly grateful you were able to be there. Your presence meant the world to us and provided us with much-needed strength.
We appreciate each and every one of you. We understand that it may be difficult to attend the hearings, but if you have the time your presence is welcome at the next hearing:
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 ๐๐ญ 8:30๐๐ฆ
๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ. 18
Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฏ๐, ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
You can park here https://g.co/kgs/16wEqHz or at any of the other lots nearby. If you decide to park on the street, please make sure to read the street sweeping and parking signs.
Rodger Lee Watkins (60) died on February 20th, 2024, in a tragic car accident on the way to work at Cal State University, Long Beach. Rodger was born in Los Angeles, CA and was well known for his sport endeavors throughout his entire life since high school; in every league, center, playground and city he played in. Rodger (Kool-Aid) was an athlete, exceeding the limits of what one might expect of a 60 year old playing back to back to back games for hours on end in every sport he played. He enjoyed the outdoors but more importantly, the company and memories he made with others. He spent most of his life in West Los Angeles and recently moved to Long Beach in 2018. His love for his grandchildren was one that cannot be encompassed in words, he knew how to play, share treats and bring pure joy to his 4 grandchildren. His thirst for life made him the best grandpa ever.
He was truly a one of a kind husband, father, grandpa, sibling, uncle, friend and co-worker; a man of faith. He cherished the diverse friendships and family that surrounded him. He sought to change the lives of every person he connected with for the better. Rodger always had ideas, inventions and jokes to share. His smile greeted you like a warm hug, always ready to converse, share positivity or as he often wrote down, words of gratitude. Rodger leaves behind a wife whom he celebrated his 25th anniversary with last year, 5 adult children and 4 grand-children he was proud of and loved deeply. This is a sudden and profound loss to the entire family.
We ask and encourage you to share your memories and/or photos to Rodgermemorial2024@gmail.com.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of Rodger’s life and for contributing to this tribute. Your love and memories are helping us find solace in this challenging moment.
On behalf of the entire family, we extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who played a part in organizing and supporting Rodger’s memorial service. Your contributions, whether emotional, financial, or simply filled with love, have meant the world to us. Your support has been a source of strength and comfort. From helping with arrangements to offering words of encouragement and being there to lend a shoulder to lean on, your presence and kindness have made a profound difference. We are incredibly grateful for your outpouring of love and support. Your efforts have helped us honor Rodger’s memory in a truly meaningful way, and we are touched beyond words by your thoughtfulness.
Thank you once again for your generosity, compassion, and love. It has been a blessing to have you at our side during this journey of remembrance and healing.
His smile was one of a kind and one to be remembered.
With sincere gratitude,
The Watkins, Pacheco, Ortiz, and Salgado Families
If you would like to send a card or letter to the family please address to:
“Rodger Memorial”
65 Pine Avenue #729
Long Beach, CA, 90802
Please note that NO immediate family has an authorized GoFundMe page.
Share your memories
In our efforts to share Dad’s life, we ask for your help by sharing FAVORITE photos or videos of him via email by Sunday, 3/3/24. Dad’s wish was to include 1 photo of him of when he was young and we need your help to find the right one.
We also know that Rodger lived a very active life and was very present in the now and that you may not have many photos or videos of your time with our Dad Rodger. If you have a story of Rodger and how that made a lasting impression with you, please type it below and click the submit button to share it with us. We will update the website with your stories as often as possible.
If you need more space than the form will allow please highlight and copy and paste your story and send it to us via email. Please send all photos, and video to RodgerMemorial2024@gmail.com
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In Memoriam Rodger Lee Watkins 