Thomas Charles Rodgers

West Point, 1990

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Michael Hubbard on November 17, 2018:

Tom Rodgers was one of the most remarkable men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. To know Tom was to love him. He had so many people who considered him their best friend. His father, Tom Sr., his mother Janel, his wife Tracy, and his brother Tim all considered him not only a son, brother, and husband but also their best friend. So many us considered Tom their best friend including me. People loved Tom because he was instantly likable. Tom was an optimist that radiated positive energy. His smile and humor made people gravitate toward him. Everyone wanted to be around Tom. He was the life of the party inspiring people to dance, sing, tell stories and jokes. Tom's soul knew it had an early expiration date which gave him a sense of urgency to find new adventures, meet new people while always having as much fun as possible. Tom made the very best of every birthday and had fun every holiday from St. Patrick's Day, Columbus Day, Armistice Day, National Beer Drinking Day, German Heritage Day, The Fourth of July and many other favorites. Tom always found a reason to celebrate and have fun. In addition to being fun, Tom was exceptionally smart and was a talented athlete. Tom made the difficult easy and the complex simple. He loved playing tennis, but he honestly excelled at every sport he played. Tom was the first person I would call for advice and the insights he provided were always on target. I called him the day he died seeking more friendly advice and did not expect his brother Tim to answer with the devastating news. Tom was always up for anything. All you had to do was say when and where and Tom would make it. The week prior to his death we had a long discussion while I was driving from Minneapolis to Fargo, ND for a business trip. During our conservation Tom spoke in depth of how happy he was personally and professionally and how his business was taking off. He spoke of how much he loved Tracy and was laying out plans for our next adventures together. One adventure he mentioned was riding Harley's across TN. He also suggested meeting in Fargo, ND and jokingly said he was one of the few people in the world that would discover fun things to do in Fargo, ND. I will never forget our last conversation. Sadly, while Tom was at the top of the mountain his life ended peacefully while he slept. A heart full of love, adventures, happiness, optimism, and lasting friendships stopped beating. Tom will be deeply missed by his many best friends and many others who were blessed by his smile, humor and positive energy. Blessed be the memory of Tom Rodgers and may God bless his family, wife and wonderful children.

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