Rodney Lee Rodgers
Rodney Lee Rodgers, 84, of Gwinn passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 26, 2023, in Washington, Missouri while visiting his son.
Rodney was born on September 9, 1939, in Lansing to Rodney C. and Virginia (Raidle) Rodgers. He was raised in Charlotte Michigan and graduated from Charlotte High School class of 1958.
On July 3, 1959, he married Anita (Hyde) Rodgers and they enjoyed 62 years together. They raised their family in Magnolia, Illinois where he worked at BF Goodrich. In 1996 they moved to Gwinn where they spent their summers and wintered in Florida.
Rodney was a very talented individual. He was a trained mechanic, pilot and a skilled carpenter, plumber and electrician. He built three of the homes they lived in and helped his sons and various others with theirs.
He was a gifted athlete holding five high school track records upon graduation and was a member of two undefeated football teams in 1956 & 1957. He was inducted into the Charlotte High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. His love for track led him to become an assistant coach at his sons’ high school and Eureka College in Illinois. He ran in 15 marathons including four Boston Marathons and participated in two Ironman Triathlons.
Rodney was an avid cyclist for over 50 years accumulated more than 300,000 miles. He cycled the perimeter of the lower 48 states and many, many other lengthy trips. He continued riding his bike right up to his passing. He even rode 82 miles on his 82nd birthday two years ago.
He loved the outdoors, traveling and gardening. He sailed the Great Loop and has been to the Minnesota Boundary Waters over 25 times, taking his sons, grandchildren, siblings and cousins.
Even with all he has done, his greatest accomplishment was the love of family and everyone he met. He had the gift of making you feel like you were the most important person when he greeted you. He truly loved spending time with family and friends.
Surviving are his four sons: Steve (Lynn) Rodgers of Gwinn, MI, Brian (Karen) Rodgers of Georgetown, TX, Jeff Rodgers of Washington, MO and Scott Rodgers of Frederick, MI; seven grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; siblings: Bob (Phyllis) Rodgers, Ann (Rob) Martell, Carol (Ron) Turkus and Joy (Joe) Batten along with many nieces and nephews.
He was preceeded in death by his wife Anita on October 26, 2021, along with his parents, a sister Becky Vaught, daughter-in-law Sharon Rodgers and granddaughter Tiffany Wright.
A memorial will be held on Monday, December 4, 2023, at the Charlotte Senior Center at 1:00 p.m. There will be a luncheon to follow where family will greet relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Road to Hope for Becky’s House (named after Rodney’s sister), 1863 Liberty Avenue, Vermilion, OH 44089 or ECD Global Alliance, PO Box 775, DeRidder, LA 70634 in honor of Rodney’s brother, Bob Rodgers.