Doctor June Scobee Rodgers my Hero

I was lucky to have met the amazing Doctor June Scobee Rodgers on a Viking Cruise ship in 2018, when I was teaching chess to guests. From there we kept in touch via email, where I learnt more about her incredible life.

This year, June was only in London for three days when we met for the second and third time. She had just flown in from America and was keen to come to our part of the world for a spot of tea. In this post I will talk about my afternoon tea with June as well as our supper, after reading which I hope you shall admire Doctor June Scobee Rodgers as much as I do.

Doctor June Scobee Rodgers and I became firm friends after we spent most evenings for a whole week on the cruise ship together; eating and mulling over June's amazing stories. Since then, Doctor Rodgers has become a mentor of mine and has filled my thoughts with fascination and wander.

On the day we met for afternoon tea, Doctor Rodgers gave me a Darth Vader card and a box of chocolates, which I was delighted with, and my mother received a card and chocolates as well. We then settled into the beautiful modern decor of the hotel. We opened up our conversation by saying thank you and ordering our food, which was a treat in itself. We then asked after her health and how she had been since we last met. For me it was a very moving afternoon, as she is very charismatic and full of stories

June was able to talk about her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Dick Scobee, who was commander of the ill-fated Challenger Space Shuttle. We were sitting on the sofa as she told me about how she had met her husband (through their local Church and with a little help from her grandmother) and even some of their most treasured moments together. I remember her telling me about a date that she had particularly enjoyed, where they had bought a McDonalds and sat watching the skies as they ate together. I think that they both loved the the stars, and looking up at them helped them to imagine what the future had in store for them.

June shared some images of her husband, the handsome pilot, smiling, and I was struck by how normal his smile was and how kind and special and charming he was. I would have loved to have met him.

Even though Dr June said that it was the most difficult year of her life when her husband died on live television, she somehow managed to turn tragedy into positive energy by helping the other Challenger families and starting the Challenger Centers. As Neil Armstrong said of her book "Silver Linings"; "This is an inspiring story of conquering hardships, demonstrating tenacity, and in creating the Challenger Centers for Space Science Education, building something genuinely useful for society."

On our second meeting, I was no less captivated by the easy brilliance of Doctor Rodger's mind as we spoke about her adventures and her life. Coming from humble origins and widowed at a fairly young age, June is the epitome of a self-made woman, who made sure that she did not let her background, or tragedies, hold her back. She climbed and conquered every mountain and obstacle.

Beyond all of these achievements, it is truly humbling to have taken tea and supper with someone who knew the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. June said that Neil Armstrong was both gentle and pleasant. When they did a keynote speech in Houston, he would be the perfect gentlemen and let her go first to speak to the pilots. June and Neil Armstrong got on very well; he was always very shy in addressing large crowds on his public touring and would often lean on June for support. They had a lot in common and June told me wonderful personal stories about they would go around America inspiring the next generation of Americans to go into space.

The opening of a new Challenger Center in Britain should be very special because it means that Dr Rodgers should be travelling more to Britain over the next few years. If one wants to find out more about her life story, I would encourage you to read her book called "Silver Linings", which I have read and would very much recomend for anyone wanting to learn more about space, astronauts and the Challenger accident.

Overall, it was was a privilege to meet Doctor June Scoobie Rodgers again, I think of her as my American Grandmother, as well as someone who is incredibly kind and special. Without a doubt, the best part of the Cruise was meeting Doctor June Rodgers and I can't wait to see what she does next!