Kiami Ann Rogers

Kiami Ann Rogers was born in Phoenix, Arizona and loved school. She spent a summer after high school at the Grand Canyon working in a store and hiked the canyon extensively.
She was a double major graduate from Arizona State University, in Physics and Electrical Engineering. She met Thomas Jacobsen shortly after starting work in Boise Idaho. She would arrive at work all bubbly and happy after we had been at it for 12 hours and were just beaten down. I looked her and said, "What are you so happy about"? She was happy to be a part of that world. She filled in on my shift one week and that was the last week of our night rotation for six months. I always took my shift out to breakfast on the last night shift because we made it through another 6 month rotation. Our favorite place was a little hole in the wall diner called Manley's and it was well known for their outrageous portions. This skinny thing ate like a truck driver coming off a fast. She got my attention and we fell in love. We were married at the Grand Canyon.

We left Boise a few years later for Richmond, Virginia for a start- up company. They put us up in their corporate housing while we were in transition. After work one night, she asked what we were going to do that night. I was raised in Michigan and the Detroit Red Wings were in the Stanley Cup that year. I said we should stay in and watch the hockey game. She reluctantly agreed and after watching patiently through the end of the first period, looked me square in the eyes and asked with all seriousness, "Are there any rules to this game"? The company afforded her first taste of international travel and she was hooked. They sent us to Dresden, Germany for 90 days. I also love to travel and explore. Naturally we would get lost with no GPS and a language barrier. Her solution; "hey, follow that guy he looks like he knows where he's going". It defied all rules of engineering, but son -of- a- gun, it worked more times than I care to admit.

A few years later, and after 9/11 we wound up here working for Texas Instruments. We both went back to school, with Kiami completing her Master's degree in Engineering Management and was a member in high esteem with the American Society for Quality. Her job at TI put her on the road again and she loved it. For her 40th birthday, we went to London, England. Her job had her on the road and she was just coming back from Taiwan with a 2 hour layover in DFW and off to England we went. She usually didn't sleep on the plane and this was no exception. Combined, she had about 28 hours in the air when we landed. I insisted on taking the train and not a cab...BAD IDEA! None the less, she was a road warrior and loved it.

Kiami loved to travel but it wasn't all work related. When her niece and nephew were still young we picked them up and drove to Pasadena for Knots Berry Farm and then a day at Lego Land, and met up with her sister and brother in-law in San Diego for a day at Sea World. We celebrated our anniversary (the 4th of July) on this trip with family that will never be forgotten by any of us. It was special on so many different levels.

Her time with the American Society for Quality was very rewarding for her as she taught classes, provided support at conferences, and served in the section and divisional leadership in multiple capacities. She had a passion for it. Her outgoing nature and infectious smile has touched so many people over the years. As her husband, I can say it was a pleasure and an honor to have her share her life with me for the last 20 years.
Kiami is survived by her loving husband Thomas Jacobsen, mother Elsie Rogers and her husband Ken Chandler, sister Lequetta Braemer and her husband Brian, nieces and nephews Aiden, Kyla and Rylan Braemer.
A visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Allen Family Funeral Options. Funeral services will be on Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at Plano Bible Chapel, 1900 Shiloh Rd., Plano, Texas 75074 with Pastor Robert Matthews officiating. It is recommended in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made in Kiami's memory to the charity of your choice.