John Rodgers

John Coleman Rodgers was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Elise Glover on September 25, 1911. He was the oldest of six sisters and brothers. John married Lucille Lutricia Holloman of Aiken and Beech Island, SC, on May 12, 1939 in Atlantic City, NJ. They moved to Philadelphia, PA where their children, Joan and Tinoa were born. In 1944, the family moved to Mt. Vernon, NY and then to Brooklyn, NY where their youngest daughter Renee was born in 1948. He and his wife loved to dance at the Elks Club and play pinochle with friends. John and Lucille lived in St. Albans, NY from 1962 to 1996 when they moved to Union City, GA to be near daughters Joan and Renee. The oldest, Joan Rodgers-Burton of Riverdale, Georgia has two children and five grand children and one great grandson. Her son, Edmond, is the father of Bryan Burton of Georgia and JeLesa Burton of New York & her daughter, Marian Burton-Hawkins, is the mother of Aliya Hannah Allen, Malachi Talibb and Maya Hawkins. John is survived by five great-grand children and is also survived one great-great grandson, Caleb Riley Burton, son of Bryan Burton of Alabama. He is also survived by two sisters, Altone and Bea of Charleston, South Carolina and a brother Carl of Ohio as well as many nieces and nephews Although John only completed school up to the ninth grade, he was a self taught man and an avid reader. He subscribed to the monthly Jet and Ebony magazines; daily newspapers, and books about or by African-Americans, both historical and current. He insisted that his children attend Roman Catholic schools because he felt the public schools of the day were inferior. A devoted husband and family man he usually worked two full time jobs to provide for his family. He was very talented and creative and mastered the skills of a carpenter, brick-mason, plumber, and an electrician. However, none of the trade unions of the day would grant him a license. Whatever was needed, putting in new windows or adding an extension to his porch enclosure, he figured a way to accomplish the task. Over the years, he loved to tinker with his classic cars which included a 1958 Chevy Impala coupe and a 1952 Plymouth 2 door coupe with manual shift on the column. John was also the proud owner of a set of hand-powered carpenter's tools, drills, saws and files. He used to say that he was going to live until he was a hundred years of age. Well he surpassed that. He lived until he was one hundred and one years and four months. He passed in his sleep on Saturday, January, 19, 2013. Click Here to Send Flowers