Read Richard Ethan Rodgers's Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Richard Ethan Rodgers

Portland, OR, USA

June 2, 1990 - December 9, 2020

Jun 2, 1990 - Dec 9, 2020

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Richard Ethan Rodgers of Portland, Oregon, was born in Boulder, Colorado on June 2, 1990, and passed away on December 9, 2020. Richard is survived by his Mother J.J. Rodgers & Father Wesley Ludlow. Richard is also survived by his siblings Olivia, Jennifer, Josh, Leann, Michael, his maternal grandparents Norman & Janice Jackson, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many cherished lifelong friends. Richard's Father James Rodgers, Uncle Michael Rodgers, and paternal sets of grandparents Joseph & Dorothy Rodgers, and Willis & Anne Ludlow; all preceded him in death.

Richard was raised in the mountain communities of Estes Park & Red Feather Lakes, CO., as well as Fort Collins, CO. As a child, Richard's favorite things were going through as much cereal as possible, swimming, playing Legos, anything to do with science, and all things Calvin & Hobbs! An avid reader & writer of stories from childhood, Richard spent his life plowing through every book he could get his hands on. Attending & graduating from PSD schools, Richard went on to earn his AA degree from Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, Colorado. Richard had collaborated with an illustrator & other contributors, for the last 2 years; writing a supplemental book he had hoped would reach publication. At the time of his death, he was working on a tough article for a Portland magazine related to increased human trafficking throughout the Pacific Northwest region.

Richard enjoyed being outdoors & loved hiking his favorite Poudre Canyon trails with friends & all their dogs! He enjoyed archery, listening to music, caring for his animals, cooking for himself & others, working out, gaming, playing D&D w/friends, attending festivals, and traveling. Richard enjoyed opportunities to travel throughout the US, Mexico, Canada, England, Wales, Ireland, Italy and Greece.

Richard was a brilliant, intuitive, unique, creative, and powerful young man who will forever be missed. To honor Richard's memory, family & close friends want to encourage others to advocate for the reduction of social stigma around caring for, and talking about one's mental health. It is in this spirit of transparency that we share with those of you who may, or may not have known, that Richard struggled openly with family & friends for many years with Seasonal Affective Disorder, which worsened & prolonged periods of depression and affected mood as he aged. The pandemic and the resulting social isolation and crippling loneliness he experienced affected him greatly. Additionally, in May of 2020, Richard was covering a story about the BLM riots in Eugene, Oregon when confronted by police to comply with orders for him and his videographer to place their belongings on the ground and put their hands up. Upon complying, both showed press passes, and both were immediately shot with rubber bullets. Richard was shot twice in the lower abdomen resulting in kidney damage, from which he was slowly recovering. Subsequently, his depression worsened from this traumatic event, the loss of his job due to closure, and even with therapeutic help, he was rapidly overcome with a deep depression. Wes & J.J. wish to thank his many friends who listened & heard him, who attempted to understand & support him through the darkness of this last year. We his family, see you, honor you, and love you for being bright lights in that darkness, and such a great friend to him!

This is not goodbye, our beautiful Richard; our Indigo Child. We will see you, hear your laugh, and feel your loving presence, in everything we do and everywhere we go, for the rest of our lives.

Nearly 50 million adults will experience mental health challenges in just one years time. If you or someone you love are struggling with your mental health, there is help! Please call your doctor, your family, a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, your local suicide hotline, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You are not alone.

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