Sharing Memories of Roger Broggie Jr.,

Sharing Memories of Roger Broggie Jr.
Page 2 of 2

Roger�s granddaughter Kimberlee Burden told the attendees about the devoted grandfather and great-grandfather, the man that she didn�t know as an Imagineer or as a Disney Legend�s son, but simply as �Papa.� Kimberlee told us that although her children are very young, they have strong memories of the man they called �Great-Grampa Roger Broggie�, the man who happily dug around in the dirt with them when there was work to be done in the garden. Kimberlee said she found that fitting, because many of her fondest memories of Papa were also of working in the dirt with him in his house in Acton.  Kimberlee recollected that Roger once quietly discouraged her from naming the pigs that he kept, because �it wouldn�t be a good idea�. She recalled Papa being very comfortable in a pair of jeans � so comfortable that she and a cousin once had to sneak into his room and try his jeans on for themselves (with less than successful results).  Kimberlee said that she recognized in Papa the embodiment of a saying by Aristole: �Quality is not an act, it is a habit.�  Everything that he did had a reason, a purpose; what he did was part of who he was, not just a means to an end. To close her comments, Kimberlee asked a favor of the people in the audience; because she and others never got the chance to learn about the brilliant, highly-regarded and innovative engineer and builder that Roger was prior to his passing, she asked everyone who had come to the life celebration to take some time to share their stories and their memories, so that that others who knew only about one part of his life and what he had done would have to learn about and appreciate all the parts of his life that made him so special.

Other friends and colleagues took a moment to follow through on Kimberlee�s request and talk about what made Roger so special to them. Roger�s friend Terry Minton recalled the moments he shared fishing with him on June Lake as part of  �The June Lake Ten�; Terry recalled how he and Roger could fish for hours, �sharing a minimum amount of words and a maximum amount of beer�, and how he immensely enjoyed the moments they shared together.  Ron Griffith, a colleague of Roger�s in the themed entertainment industry, remembered that his skills and experience were unmatched, and his personality made him a pleasure to work with. Ron said he was very glad to get to work with �someone who really did know it all�, and he admired how Roger would tell someone what he needed to say as opposed to something that he thought that someone would want to hear.    After the formal eulogies were done, at the urging of the pastor, some members of the audience shared their thoughts. Some of the comments they shared were funny, like �Roger rocked!�, and other comments were shared through tears. Members of the audience remembered Roger as honorable, fearless, and a good uncle. More than a few said that he was a great friend. 

Probably the most eloquent statement at the life celebration was a message from Roger himself, shared by his brother Michael:

�Please don�t weep for me, at my grave or wherever my ashes are scattered, as I�m not there.
I�m the first light of a new day.
I�m the laughter of grandchildren at play.
I�m the sound of a fishing line going out on a strike.
I�m the crackle and warmth of a campfire.
I�m a moonlight path across a mountain lake.
I�m among the colors of a rainbow.
I�m in the clouds of a golden sunset.
I�m the chiming of church bells on a Sunday morning.
I�m the chuffing of a steam engine.
I�m the wink of a Caribbean pirate.
I�m the turn of a lathe and the cutting of a saw.
I�m the hum of a snow blower.
I�m the whistle of wind in tall pines.
I�m the rumble of a shiny black Thunderbird exhaust. 
I�m your next good thought or favor for a friend or a stranger.
I�m just a dream away.
My family and friends, remember � I�m here, in your hearts, forever.�

I�m sorry to say that I never got the chance to know Roger Broggie, Jr. I had the chance to see him receive his Disneyana Fan Club Legends award last year, so I could appreciate what he accomplished for Disney. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to get to meet and learn about the person behind those accomplishments.   But thanks to all the people at Roger�s life celebration, I had the chance to appreciate Roger for who he was, to better understand what he did and enjoyed, and to discover how much he meant to those around him.    I got to see the fuller picture, and I think I understand why so many people are really going to miss him.  I never would have gotten any of that from a few lines in an obituary.

Discuss It

-- Posted February 12, 2013
-- Text by Paul Schnebelen

Next >
2