John Hubert Rogers

John was born on May 21, 1945 in Birmingham, Ala. to Hubert and Lillian Rogers. He attended Ensley High School and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1964. Attaining the rank of Corporal, Mr. Rogers was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Rifle Expert Badge and the Good Conduct Medal during his years of service. After his military service, he relocated to Panama City, Fla. and went on to a long and successful career in cable telecommunications that eventually led him to Charleston. Never one to sit on his laurels, after his retirement from cable he assumed a position as a security guard at the Lonnie Hamilton Building in North Charleston, which housed Charleston County government and public services, and quickly assumed a supervisory position.

John is described by those closest to him as steady, stable and sometimes stern, a consummate Marine, but with a wicked sense of humor that manifested in a beautiful capacity to find laughter in most situations, even if it was at his own expense. His wife could likely catalog their many laughing moments and inside jokes, including one very confusing one about who did the dishes. His children revel in stories of his “clumsiness” (sometimes…though perhaps less than he would have admitted…exaggerated for their benefit), and even in adulthood – first making sure he was ok – appreciated that he was never afraid to let them see him laugh at himself and had taught them to do the same.

John had an adventurous spirit – one that led him to hitchhike thousands of miles across the country in the 1960s, and even in later years often sought “the road less travelled.” Always up for a road trip, he invariably preferred the “scenic” route. These forays down unknown roads sometimes ended in wonderful experiences full of photo-worthy moments, and sometimes in dead ends – which his kids never let “Dead End Daddy” live down. One very memorable trip ended in a pile of snow on a mountain road in the Sierra Nevada mountains. With the mountain on one side, and thin air on the other, a “simple 15-point turn” solved the problem.

Vacations were spent in search of what had not been seen before, and nearly always from inside a tent. From early camping tours of South Florida and the Keys to near-annual trips up the Blue Ridge Parkway – sometimes in search of snow, and nearly always in the rain. There was continually a new adventure to be found – a new rock to climb, waterfall to jump from, rollercoaster to ride. For John, life was meant to be lived in 3D. Nothing was black and white. All the world was color and depth. His children learned early on that there were no half measures – bedtime stories must have voices for the characters, music must be appreciated for it makes the world go round, swings were meant to go as high as possible, there was no such thing as a Christmas tree that was too big or had too many lights, laughs are always better when they come from your belly and leave you gasping for breath.

But for his children, John was the also the rock. The expert. The fount of knowledge. From the tallest mountain (which at that time was Mt. Mitchell) to the deepest sea (at that time the Gulf of Mexico on the pass side of the Jetties at St. Andrew’s State Park), anything, anywhere was possible on his shoulders, hanging from his neck, holding his hand (or beltloop). He loved his family and instilled this in his children. He strove to do the right thing, to put others before himself, and he expected that of his children. For them, he will always be the one to whom all others must measure.

John is survived by his wife, Linda; his son Jeffrey (Brittany) Rogers; his daughter Jennifer (Stewart) Cox; his sister Joanne Whitten; his four grandchildren, Nicholas Chance, Stephanie Sellers, John Robert Rogers and Ryan Rogers; and his stepsons, Cory (Candice) Beanland and Jared Beanland. He is preceded in death by his father and mother; by his brother, Floyd Rogers; and by his brother, Richard “Dick” Rogers.

They say it isn’t about what you have or what you do, but how you are remembered. The way you live this life is the indelible stamp you leave on the world – your legacy. John’s beautiful legacy lives on in his wife’s memories of their happy and humor-filled marriage; in his children, who strive every day to be the person he wanted them to be and move closer to the person he was, embracing both the memories and the responsibility (though they do look too much like him to ignore it); in his grandchildren who will always remember Grandaddy as a tall, strong hand to hold and a deep voice full of encouragement (or discipline, depending on the circumstance). His legacy lives on in his friends who have so many stories to tell about the character of John Rogers and the “character” he was. But perhaps one of the most remarkable facets of his legacy lives on in the people who may not even realize they are part of it – the hundreds of people he has impacted just by being present in this world. Those who interacted with him every day – who found comfort in his quiet strength, who feel a void they can’t explain, and who will swear over and again that their lives are better for having known him – are now linked everyone else who knows that life will never be the same without him in it.

A memorial service will take place at Johns-Ridout’s Southside location on Feb. 12, at 2:30 p.m. The Reverend Kelly Bottcher will officiate. The family will receive visitors after the ceremony. Flowers and condolences may be sent to Johns-Ridout’s Funeral Parlors, 2116 University Blvd. Birmingham,