Kevin George Rogan, age 77, passed away on June 26, 2015 in Draper, Utah surrounded by his family. Kevin was born Sept. 11, 1937 in New Haven, NY to Kevin Patrick and Antoinette Marie Sass Rogan. He married Bonnie Carol Francis on June 21, 1973, in Reno, NV, later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.
Born to first and second generation immigrants, as the eldest son of a large Irish Catholic family, Kevin grew up understanding the importance of both family and hard work ‚ two virtues that defined his life. Driven and stubborn, outgoing and friendly, always charming and occasionally audacious, Kevin was the consummate salesman. He spent many of his prime years traveling the globe as a jet-setting entrepreneur, wheeling and dealing a vast array of international business interests, both for himself and large companies like IBM and General Motors, and building a successful career that defied definition. Generous whenever he could afford it (and many times when he couldn\t), Kevin was eager to share the fruits of his success with family, friends, and even total strangers met on airplanes.
His love of travel remained strong throughout his life, as Kevin was always planning roadtrips, campouts, and cross-country adventures with his family. Hungry for excitement, and a bit reckless, Kevin stayed obsessively busy burning the candle at both ends, working extra jobs, and indulging eclectic tastes and hobbies. He earned his pilot\s license at the age of sixteen, before receiving his driver\s license ‚ a bit of a shock to his unsuspecting parents. For a hobby, he loved cruising swap meets, yard sales, and classified ads, eternally looking for bargains, and amassing collections of a wide variety of (occasionally bizarre) items, ranging from coins and stamps, to guns and ceramics, to Rembrandts and comic books. As a young man, his passion for the Boy Scouts of America led to his conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he remained active in numerous church callings ‚ including the scouting program ‚ throughout his life. Sharp as a tack and an avid reader, Kevin instilled a strong love of education and academics (especially mathematics) in his children.
Ferociously resilient, Kevin overcame numerous health issues later in life, due in part, perhaps, to his profound love of ice cream. Even after "retiring," his intense work ethic was barely hindered by a series of heart attacks and minor strokes, and he continued to work hard to support his family, even in the face of overwhelming odds. In 2004, Kevin suffered a massive debilitating stroke, which left him severely disabled. In a coma, and not expected to survive, he overcame the odds once again, eventually regaining consciousness and living with his family for eleven years. Grateful for his presence in their lives, his wife and children rallied around him as caretakers, and despite his weakened, bedbound condition, Kevin found joy in his grandchildren, holidays, and plenty of ice cream.
Kevin is survived by his wife, Bonnie; his eight children: Teresa (Steven), Kevin (Elizabeth), Kathleen, Timothy, Sean, Melissa, James, Joe, Micki and Logan; sister, Antoinette (John), and brothers, Terry (Cynthia), Tom (Susan), Sean (Gillian); 15 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents; previous spouse, Martha Cretch Rogan, and brothers, Michael and Patrick.
Funeral services for Kevin will be held on Wed. July 15, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at the Draper Crescent View 28th Ward, 11626 South 300 East, Draper, UT. A viewing will be held on Tue. evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary, 10600 South 1950 East and at the church on Wed. morning from 11:45 am to 12:45 pm prior to the services. Please leave online condolences for the family at www.larkinmortuary.com.
