Rodger W. Fling

A family man, Rodger devoted his life, resources, and free time to his family in every way; their upbringing, education and well-being, building and fixing, great and small, all things to support his loved ones. Although Rodger literally built most of his homes throughout his life (or at least renovated them) his heart was always out on the water, especially the ocean, sailing by his heart’s compass.

Born in New Jersey and raised in Port Washington NY, Rodger learned to sail with his father as a very young boy on Long Island sound. His first job at 15 was launch boy at the Port Washington Yacht Club. He attended Tabor Academy for three years where he crewed the Tabor Boy, a 115’ gaff-rigged, two-masted schooner. He took a gap year before attending Hamilton College to fulfill a family dream of exploring the Caribbean, the Virgin and Windward Islands. Along with his father (Wentworth D. Fling), his mother (Margaret E. Rodger Fling), his sister (Meg Fling Kesterson), Rodger skippered the family’s 38’ foot javelin yawl Highland from NY to Trinidad and back. After this year-long adventure, Rodger attended and graduated from Hamilton College in 1968 where he was a member of the Brass Band.

After college, he attended Officer Candidate School for the U.S. Navy and he married his college sweetheart, Noreen Gaydar Fling. They moved to Georgia and then Midway Island where he served as a Dispersing Officer and then spent two years in Beeville Texas as a Food Service Officer for the U.S. Navy.

After his service, Rodger began a long career at SeaLand, a container shipping company (later known as Maersk SeaLand). Rodger worked in both Holland and New Jersey for over 20 years with SeaLand, in quality management as the Director of Maintenance; he traveled around the Americas and Europe in the international shipping business. All the while, there was always weekend sailing on the Shrewsbury River, where the Sun Bum took most of the trophies in its class, racing at the local yacht club. He would often be seen racing or cruising down the river with his wife, son Weston and daughter Holly. And he spent several years renovating (by hand) a 150+ year-old farmhouse on the Chesapeake Bay in Onancock Virginia for fun! In 1992, he left SeaLand to join Crowley in Jacksonville, Florida where he found his dream home right on the St. John’s River. Rodger spent hundreds of hours sailing on the St. John’s River and thoroughly enjoyed the manatees that would have breakfast right outside their home. Rodger and his family lived in Jacksonville until 2001.

Rodger also worked in Michigan, California, and Connecticut improving shipping efficiencies before retiring in 2008. Then he and Noreen moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to be closer to family.

Rodger was the most amazing grandfather “Popop” to Devon (22), Alyssa (19), Taylor (11) and Roger (9). Not only did he model commitment and loyalty to his family but he was fun-loving, energetic, adventurous, and humorous. Self-taught, he could fix anything and each family residence always had its own “Popop Fix-It Pile.” He built an enormous treehouse in a large chestnut tree for the youngest grandkids in 2020 complete with operable windows, cedar shingle siding and asphalt shingle roof.

Popop had a contagious laugh, was a lover of Seinfeld, and a devoted husband of 55 years. He loved telling sailing stories, salvaging building materials to be put into productive use, and gathering with his family.

Rodger is survived by his wife, Noreen Fling; son and daughter-in-law Weston Fling and Elizabeth Budness; grandchildren Devon Fling, Alyssa Fling; daughter and son-in-law Holly Fling Austin and Roger Austin; grandchildren Taylor Austin and Roger Wentworth Austin; sister and brother-in-law Meg Fling Kesterson and John Kesterson. Rodger Fling was predeceased by his parents Wentworth D. Fling and Margaret E. Fling.

A private celebration of life for family will be held on Bald Head Island, at Rodger and Noreen’s second home, at a later date. At Rodger’s request, there will be no funeral. Instead, he reminded us all that whenever we feel the sand under our feet, hear the sound of the constant waves, smell the salt sea air, feel the wind in our hair, and look out at the eternal blue sky he will be enjoying it all with us. He will be there.

In lieu of flowers, a simple memorial in Rodger’s name may be made to the ASPCA or the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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