Longtime Dallas resident and LGBT activist Paul Horton Rodgers died unexpectedly in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 11, 2018, at the age of 70.

He was born in Hereford, Texas, to David M. and Kathryn F. Rodgers, and spent his earliest years in Dawn, before moving to Lubbock where he graduated from Monterey High School.  He attended and graduated from Texas Christian University, where he was a proud member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He then embarked upon a lifelong career in banking in Fort Worth, and then in Dallas, retiring from J.P.Morgan Chase in 2016.

Paul was an active member of Midway Hills Christian Church, where he served in various capacities for many years. He diligently supported and promoted numerous environmental and social justice causes, both locally and nationally, as well as arts and cultural organizations, including Zero Population Growth, Population Connection, Population Media Center, Earth Day Dallas, North Dallas Shared Ministries, Austin Street Center, Dallas Green Alliance, Latino Voter Empowerment Project, Dallas County Deputy Voter Registrar and Fort Worth Ballet. Paul was particularly interested in working with local, state and national groups that promoted equality and justice for the LGBT community, including serving as one of the earliest board members and as treasurer of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby, now known as Equality Texas. He was president of Lesbian and Gay Political Caucus, was a co-founder of Metroplex Republicans/Log Cabin Dallas, served on the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance board and was co-coordinator of GLAD (Gay, Lesbian and Affirming Disciples). He was an AIDS Interfaith care team coordinator for Central Christian Church and participated in Oak Lawn Community Services Buddy Project. He was a member of the JP Morgan Chase Pride employee group.

With a lifelong interest in politics, Paul worked on many political campaigns.  He believed that the world could be made a better place for all, and he worked to achieve that goal his entire life in so many different ways. Much of his time and energy since his retirement has been invested in organizations that promote that goal, including his church, voter registration projects, North Dallas Shared Ministries, Austin Street Center, the Population Connection and UT Southwestern Clements Hospital.
Paul is survived by his loving husband, Bernard M. “Bob” Stoller of Dallas, and his stepdaughter, Michelle J. Stoller of Richardson, as well as his brother, Jon D. Rodgers, and his wife, Betty, of Edmund, Okla., and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

In accordance with Paul’s wishes, no funeral service will be held. His ashes will be interred next to his parents in Lubbock. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Paul’s memory to Midway Hills Christian Church, North Dallas Shared Ministries, Austin Street Center or a charity of your choice that promotes social justice or environmental protection.

On Oct. 28, a celebration of Paul Rodger’s life will be held at 2 p.m. at Midway Hills Christian Church, 11001 Midway Road, so that those whose lives he touched may come together to share in his blessings. The sum of the life of Paul Rodgers is found in his deeds, rather than in these words.