Emily Jane Rodgers

Emily was born to Colonel and Mrs. E.C. Desobry in San Francisco, June 3, 1928, and moved to University Park in 1942. She graduated from Highland Park HS in 1946, attended Lindenwood College, St. Charles, Missouri, and transferred to Southern Methodist University. At SMU, Emily was active in student government and Pi Beta Phi sorority and graduated in 1950. On April 28, 1951, she married James Robert Rodgers, attorney and nephew of former Dallas Mayor Woodall Rodgers. Emily and James had one son, James Robert Rodgers, Jr. born in 1959. Following the passing of her husband, James R. Rodgers, on June 2, 1992, she married Dr. Donald E. McGuire, Jr. in February of 1994.

Emily held positions with many Dallas organizations including The Junior League of Dallas, Dallas Women’s Club, Dallas Civic Opera Board, Dallas Symphony Orchestra President 1979 – 1980, Symphony Association Board of Governors 1980 to 1983, President, Pi Beta Phi Sorority Alumnae Club 1980 to 1981. Emily also held memberships in The Dallas Country Club, Dallas Fine Arts Museum League, Dallas Ballet, Dallas Theater Center, Crystal Charity Ball, Children’s Medical Center, Les Femmes da Monde (Dallas Council of World Affairs) West Dallas Board, Shakespeare Club and several other civic and social organizations. Emily is survived by her son James R. Rodgers Jr., stepson Donald E. McGuire, III and his wife Debbie, their daughter Kelley, step daughter Marsha Caughlin and her children Bentley and Kathryn and their spouses. Emily is also survived by nieces Dorsey Desobry Chescavage, Virginia Robertson Sivigny, Leslie Mary Dickey and Nancy Keyes Leary, nephews Geoffrey Keyes Desobry and William Robertson Desobry, III.