Stephen Clark Rogers was born on October 31, 1945 in Phoenix, Arizona to James L. and Doris M. Rogers. The family moved to Prescott, Arizona when Stephen was 3 months old.
He attended Washington Elementary School, Prescott Jr. High School, graduated from Prescott Sr. High School in 1963 and attended U of A in Tucson, Arizona.
While at school, Stephen worked for his father driving trucks that supplied Union 76 gas stations, was a lifeguard at the Granite Dells swimming hole, fought wildfires for the US Forest Service, valet parking at the Pine Cone Inn, stone carving at Drake, drove a forklift at the Coca -Cola plant and was a bronze caster at the Phippen Bronze Foundry in Skull Valley, Arizona.
He often said he had 27 jobs before he was 27.
Although he hated war, he was proud of his service in the US Army Reserves and trained as a tank squadron commander at Fort Knox, Kentucky
Stephen moved to San Francisco in the 1970’s where he worked for over 30 years as an independent filmmaker, cinematographer and primarily film/video editor for CBS News across the country and in Central and South America. He was considered the best editor in the industry.
Stephen later became an independent producer, director and editor for companies such as Bank of America, Hewlett Packard, Apple and Chevron.
In the early 2000’s he moved to Prescott and continued to edit for clients remotely, working as a barista and honing his talents as an artist painting in oils and playing his beautiful piano. He also restored motorcycles and antique cars such as the 1960 Chevy Corvette, locally famous with its psychedelic yellow, pink and blue fiberglass body.
He studied astronomy and was hired by CBS to cover the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy.
Stephen was a Renaissance man in every sense. He was an accomplished artist, pianist, pilot, mechanic, electrician, carpenter and plumber, and journalist. He loved Dali, Liszt, Beethoven, Bach, bridge, books, cooking, films, his friends and especially dogs and people who loved dogs.
He was a true preserver of the English language, gracefully correcting the abuse. He mastered the art of listening before he spoke and considered it almost a sin to interrupt.
He wrote “lettditors” to the Courier as Coyote Contraire and signed them ^,,^ He wrote about global and local events, the stupidity of people and governments, and in defense of children and animals, especially dogs.
A proud achievement in late life was the resurrection of Prescott’s historic Senator Drive-In sign, which had been torn down. He designed the new sign himself and rebuilt it with the help of “some old Prescott boys” and the donations of many Prescott High School alumni.
Stephen was warm, caring, funny, exciting, a mentor to many, loyal to those he loved and most of all honest.
“Never chase safety,” he wrote, “it’s an illusory concept. So is the idea of an unchanging passion.”
Stephen died peacefully in his sleep at his childhood home in Prescott on January 24, 2023 at the age of 77.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother James/Hyme Rogers, dear friends Davey Lyzinski and John Carlson, and dog children Whitworth, Fordham and Mack.
He is survived by brother Kenneth A. Rogers, “son” John Behrens, and members of his tribe Karen Young, Barry Peterson, Ignacio Medrano-Carbo, Jimmye, Rachel, Carlos, Liz, Dan, and Janie.
From The Crownless King, a poem Ignacio wrote for Stephen: ‘Very few realized that a king had died. This diamond in the rough will never laugh in company with us again.”
Donations can be made to the United Animal Fund or the Senator Drive-In Sign in Stephen’s honor.
Ruffner-Wakelin Funeral Homes of Prescott undertook the cremation.
Information from friends who loved him.
