Lasley (L.C.) Rodgers
Longtime lakeside resident Lasley (L.C.) Rodgers died Friday, June 22 at age 88.
He was born in Covington, a tiny central Texas rural setting, which he left to attend Texas Wesleyan College in Fort Worth, graduating in 1946 and later returning for a Masters in Education. During the Korean War he was a hand-to-hand combat instructor in the U.S. Army National Guard and for 24 years he was a proud member of American Legion Post 7, Chapala. His career as a teacher of science, chemistry, physics and math included Brewer, Meacham and Paschal High Schools in the Fort Worth area.
In 1962, Rodgers joined Alcon Laboratories – a worldwide producer of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals – as head of its quality control lab. After several years he was recruited by one of Alcon’s founders to serve as Chair of the Science Department at Trinity Valley School, an independent college preparatory school founded in 1959 to provide the young men of the Texas Boys Choir with an opportunity to learn as well as rehearse. During his ten years in that role he designed, saw completed, and taught in the Science Quadrangle which included state-of-the-art laboratory features.
Having been equipped by the Holy Spirit and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as he alternated between Alcon Laboratories and the teaching field, he also served as bivocational pastor at various small Texas congregations.
After visiting the lakeside area several times, on December 26, 1993 L.C. assumed the leadership of New Life Christian Fellowship (later known as Lakeside Fellowship), serving people from 13 different denominational backgrounds almost three years before retiring. Shortly after that he helped establish a Baptist congregation, which began as Grace Baptist Church of Lake Chapala operating under the legal umbrella of Grace Baptist Church of Guadalajara. The group met in a home setting for almost three years while it grew, before construction began on a building located at the corner of Santa Margarita and San Lucas in Riberas del Pilar. In the meantime, the church initiated the process of independently registering as a religious organization with the government and the name changed to Lake Chapala Baptist Church, indicating service to the entire lakeside region. The new building was dedicated August 15, 1999.
Bro. Bob Hendrick took the reins in January 2002 and, though recently retired after 17 years of service, he is returning to conduct a celebration of life for Rodgers on Monday, July 2, 3 p.m. Lake Chapala Baptist is located one block north of the Carretera, opposite the highway from the Anglican Church where Bro. L.C. began his pastoral work in Mexico with the non-denominational fellowship.
Rodgers is survived by his wife of 46 years, Lucinda; son Randy (Patti); daughter Linda Rodgers Taylor; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be directed to Hope House, a place of refuge and training for adulthood for boys from problematic situations, through Upscale Resale Bazaar or directly to Charles Baker (765-7545 or cel 331-267-3850).
Robert Walter Mepham
Robert Mepham died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Riberas del Pilar June 13. He was 82 years old.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Mepham had battled cancer for more than a decade.
He and his partner Doris Mackey decided to start a fresh, new life in Mexico in 2005. He was fond of the Mexican people and their culture, and had many dear friends. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and especially by Doris.
There will be no formal memorial service at Mepham’s request.