Michael David Rogers was born on June 23, 1991, at Green Lane Women's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand, to the delight of his parents, David A. Rogers and Oone M. Rogers (née Duley), and older sister, Josephine A. Aira (née Rogers).
When Michael was four, the family moved to England due to his father's work. The Rogers family settled in the village of Sunninghill, not far from Windsor. Michael attended the village school, St. Michaels, where he formed lifelong friendships. He then transferred to the local high school, Charters Comprehensive School. During this time, Michael developed an entrepreneurial spirit, spending time gaining knowledge in IT and different programming languages while helping small businesses along the way. After graduating from high school, Michael left home to attend the University of Portsmouth, studying Computer Science, enjoying student life, and making more friends.
After graduating, Michael joined an IT company in Guildford. After working there for a year, he decided to transition to a nomadic lifestyle of working, traveling, and joining meetups throughout the world, all the while gaining higher knowledge about computer programming online and in person. During this time, Michael also took up playing golf, snooker, and going skiing with his friends. Michael spent a short time working at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, relocating there during the COVID pandemic.
Mike was a loving and caring person full of contagious energy. He was a pet sitter, he enjoyed nature, and he was very conscious of the environment. Mike was above all known for his kindness. There was nothing he wouldn't do for you.
Left to cherish his memories are his mother, Oone Rogers; his father, David Rogers; his sister, Josie Aira; his brother-in-law, Nick Aira; extended family; and friends.
Feel No Guilt In Laughter
Feel no guilt in laughter; he’d know how much you care.
Feel no sorrow in a smile that he is not here to share.
You cannot grieve forever; he would not want you to.
He’d hope that you could carry on the way you always do.
So, talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared,
The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.
Let memories surround you, a word someone may say
Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour, a day,
That brings him back as clearly as though he were still here,
And fills you with the feeling that he is always near.
For if you keep those moments, you will never be apart
And he will live forever locked safely within your heart.
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About |
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| Name | Michael David Rogers |
| Date of Birth | June 23rd, 1991 |
| Date of Death | November 5th, 2021 |
| Home Town | Sunninghill, England, GB |
| Other City | Memphis, TN, US |
| In Memoriam Donation | Bridgetown |
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published a tribute .
Mike was such a uniquely kind and welcoming person. I remember when I first met him, being so intimidated by how smart and funny he was, but he quickly disarmed me with his genuine warmth and made me feel like we were immediate friends and that he was rooting for me. I think this is how a lot of people felt when they met Mike. He had such a unique ability to think big, while also being present in smaller moments in a way that made people feel seen and valued.
During one of my last conversations with Mike, we discovered that we had both been in the same city in Japan at the same time years ago, and we speculated that maybe we had crossed paths without even knowing it. He said, "I do love the idea that someone was in line at a coffee shop and we had no idea we'd be friends due to a global pandemic!" I'm so grateful that our paths did eventually cross long enough for me to have the privilege of getting to know him.
I admire so much about Mike—his warmth, his kindness, his intelligence, his curiosity, his passion, his drive, and his enthusiasm for life. He radiated joie de vivre more than anyone I've ever met. He impacted so many people, and I hope we all move through the world a little more like him. He was fiercely loved and will be deeply missed.
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I got a lot of messages when we made the announcement about Mike. And there was a consistent theme: Within minutes of knowing Mike, it was like he had been your friend forever. He had a special way of making you feel welcome, comfortable, equal.
My kids loved Mike too. They called him Captain America's cousin. He sent us a package of British treats, and then they loved him even more.
He was always so giving. We talked before Kirk's birthday and he offered to find a bakery and have a cake sent to Kirk. When I got my new computer last year, my Jekyll blogs wouldn't run and he was quick to offer to jump onto a call to help me navigate the errors.
Just being in a zoom room with him was enough to make me smile. He could be honest and empathetic. Just thinking about him makes me smile. I love how animated he was.
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published a tribute .
Sometimes, when you lose someone, you grieve because of all you've shared. Sometimes, you grieve because of all you know you could have shared. Each is its own kind of pain. I didn't know you for long, Mike, but in that time, I saw so much that I loved and valued. Your ability to find a silver lining in any situation was such a remarkable gift. I was always a little surprised to remember how much younger you were than me, not because you seemed old, but because your combination of humility, empathy, confidence and humor seemed so ageless. I'm so sorry to not get more opportunity to learn from you and share with you, but I hope that I can still grow up to be a little more like you. You will always be missed.
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published a tribute .
Mike, thanks for your kindness in teaching me to solve leetcode challenges, as well as your generosity with your time. You helped me get my first job in tech that way, and I'll never forget your genial manner at Virtual Coffee. You truly lifted as you climbed. We miss you.
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published a tribute .
Dear Mike,
Thank you for being happy, funny, enthusiastic about everything you did. You have been a mentor to me and you were one of the people I was looking forward to talk to every week.
I can’t help but hearing you saying “that makes me happy” all the time, and that’s probably what makes it easier to me to know that now we can’t talk anymore.
I hope you knew how much people loved you and what impact you had on them.
We all miss you terribly.
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