Alice Julie Rogers

Published 12:02 pm Thursday, June 22, 2023

Alice Julie Rogers 

April 11, 1941 – May 23, 2023 

Alice Julie Rogers (Julie or Julie Bear to all who knew her) loved each day of her 82 years of life, her chosen families and friends, golf, RVing, fishing, adventures, and all kinds of joyous fun. She absolutely insisted on enjoying life and finding the positive in every problem. Julie died peacefully at home with her partner of 36 years, Sonja Nisson, and took her last breath on May 23, 2023. 

Julie was born in Wichita, Kansas on April 11, 1941, and soon moved to Springfield, Missouri. She moved to Southern California at age 8, attended Reseda High School and became the first member of her family to graduate from high school and the first to attend college. 

While in Southern California, Julie worked as an electrician at TRW Inc. in the Apollo Space Program. She played lead guitar for “Lease Breakers” and later “LuvNStuff”, women’s bands that performed for several military units, at the Ice House in Pasadena, the Moulin Rouge, the Canyon Club, the Garret and other California venues. Always a dog lover, Julie also had a dog grooming business frequented by Hollywood dogs belonging to such stars as Zsa Zsa Gabor. 

After a move to Santa Rosa in the late 1970s, Julie began the journey that would define the rest of her days. She became a very active member of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1978. She loved AA and the new life of purpose and service to others that came with her 44 years of continuous sobriety. She sponsored many women into sobriety and often spoke at conferences and conventions, carrying a message filled with humor and hope. 

Julie graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College with a nursing degree and moved to Chico to nurse at Enloe Hospital, later to become a Trauma/ ICU nurse. She went on to earn her BSN at California State University, Chico. She became a certified IV Specialist and pioneered the home infusion program, co-authoring a book that served as a model for other infusion programs throughout the United States. She served as Manager of Home Health and Hospice at Asante, Oregon, and Vice President of Nursing in Eugene prior to retiring. 

With Sonja, Julie moved to Rogue River Oregon in 1991, and together they designed and built a creekside home in Rogue River. She loved RV road trips and made lifetime friends along the way. She was a member of Heartland Owners RV Club, Southern Oregon Fly Fishers and Rogue Fly Fishers. 

Julie is survived by her life partner Sonja Nisson, sister Sandy Berry, Doug Nisson, nieces Carole Barclay, Courtney Berry, and Danielle Parker, a great niece, a great nephew, 2 great-great nephews, her Thimesch cousins & family in Missouri, and all of her AA tribe. We all will miss her honesty, integrity, sense of humor, and compassionate kindness. 

A Celebration of Julie’s Life will be held at the Medford 7th Day Adventist Church, 1900 Greenwood Street in Medford, Oregon on Thursday, June 29 at 4 PM. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Rogue Valley Humane Society, PO Box 951, Grants Pass OR 97528, or to a Humane Society of your choice.