Rodgers, Francis W. (Silver Spring, Md.)
Francis William Rodgers died at his home in Silver Spring, Md., on Saturday, March 18, 2017. Born on September 3, 1932, he grew up in LeRoy, N.Y. and was a graduate of LeRoy High School and New York State College for Teachers at Albany, where he was a member of the Edward Eldred Potter Club and earned a bachelor’s degree in English and mathematics and a masters degree in education. He was a longtime resident of North Greenbush, N.Y., and a member of the Church of the Holy Spirit in East Greenbush. He began his career as a mathematics teacher and guidance counselor in the East Greenbush Central School District, then spent over 25 years as an assistant principal at Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar, N.Y., retiring in 1989. In retirement, he served on the Town of North Greenbush Planning Board from 1991-97, advocating for local environmental protection and for the rights of the community; he also contributed his talents as a volunteer by teaching computer literacy in local libraries and playing piano in senior centers. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sue Ann (Hoogkamp), his daughters Kerry Ellen and Tara Sue, all of Silver Spring, Md.; siblings Judith Ames (Albion, N.Y.), James (Hopewell, Va.), and Barbara Brown (Bridgewater, N.J.); and 14 nieces and nephews and their families. He was predeceased by his brother Gerard. An extraordinarily devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, he took great pleasure in his family and in the companionship of his family dogs over the years. He is loved and will be dearly missed by an extended network of family and friends who knew him from the communities where he lived and worked, and through his many interests, including reading, cooking and baking, politics, jazz piano, hi-fi audio and computing, amateur magic, and tennis. He will be remembered for his deep commitments to social justice and civic-minded participation in journalism, evidenced by the hundreds of letters to the editor he published over several decades in publications such as the New York Times, the Albany Times-Union, the National Catholic Reporter, and the Washington Post, on topics ranging from local and national politics and the Catholic Church to the social implications of technological change. Visiting hours will be on Friday, March 24, 7-9 p.m., at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd W, Silver Spring, Md. A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, March 25, 1 p.m., at St. John the Baptist Catholic Community, 12319 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, Md. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rensselaer, N.Y., on Saturday, April 8, with a graveside service at 10 a.m. All services are open to the public. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the following non-profit organizations: ProPublica (https://www.propublica.org/donate/), to support journalism in the public interest; WBGO (https://pledge.wbgo.org/epledgenow), to support jazz on public radio; or Circles of Mercy (http://www.circlesofmercy.org/donate.html), a center in Rensselaer that supports those in need, especially women and children.
