Willie Etta Rios

Mrs. Willie Etta (nee’ Rogers) Rios was born in Beloit, Alabama (a suburb of Selma, Alabama), to the late Clabron and Leanna Rogers on November 27, 1934. She was the third daughter and forth child of eight children. Willie Etta was immersed in the Christian community that would be her lifelong support from an early age. Willie Etta graduated from Daniel Payne College, a historically black college in Birmingham, Alabama with an Associate’s in Education in 1954, being the first in the family to obtain a post-secondary degree. She eventually relocated to New York City, where she accepted a position as a United States Postal Clerk and Time Keeper, retiring after twenty-seven (27) years of service.

Willie Etta was blessed with a loving family that included two daughters. During her niece’s graduation at the Hotel Diplomat in Brooklyn, New York, she met her soulmate and future husband Juan Rios. From this union one daughter, Pamela Darvae Rios was birthed.

Willie Etta was an educator at heart. She was a life long learner and loved to travel with her family. She enjoyed exploring the U.S., Caribbean, Europe and Africa. Willie Etta loved staying connected with her extended family. She always had a ready ear to listen, provide support, and encouragement to her family and close friends.

On Friday, April 16, 2021 Wille Etta transitioned from this life to her eternal home, where she will join: her parents, Clabron and Leanna Rogers; her daughter Venetia; siblings: Mary Elizabeth Gullet-Tompkins, Lena Mae Smith, and Robert Rogers; niece, Leola McKeever; nephews, Jeffrey and Kevin Rogers; sisters-in-laws Beatrice, Mable and Jo Ella Rogers.

Wille Etta has left a legacy of love, perseverance, and fierceness. She leaves to cherish her memory, a loving husband of fifty-one (51) years Juan; daughter, Pamela Darvae; granddaughter LoShunta Reid (Sean); great-grandson, Christopher Irby; son-in-law, Lorenzo Irby; sister, Ella Rogers; brothers: Henry, Clabron, and Johnny Rogers; and three special nieces: Leanna Rich (Alvin), Johnnie Mae Keen (Marty) and Janet Mann (Clarence). Inclusive in this list is a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends.