Carolyn H. Rogers

Carolyn Hamilton Rogers, one of God’s special gifts passed this phase of life on February 16, 2021. This is not just an obituary, it is also a love story of Carolyn and Jerry. It is being written by her husband, Jerry, so he can tell a story of two lovers who met later in life, and the places and things they enjoyed together. Carolyn was born in Miami, but lived and worked in Atlanta for more than 45 of her 83 years. As you’d expect, she spoke fluent Southern. We met on a blind date for lunch and were holding hands by the time we left – a practice we maintained wherever we went. We were married shortly thereafter – a union of almost 25 years. It gave me great pleasure and pride with Carolyn at my side that she loved to be fashionably dressed, which was so appropriate for such a beautiful woman. She was indeed youthful in appearance. So much so we were known by one set of our friends as the General and his daughter. We both loved to travel and did so extensively. These travels greatly fueled our love for one another and the happiness it brought to us is indescribable. In all, we spent at least one day and often one week in 26 different countries, all the while we wore out two sets of luggage. Some of our best memories include sunset and sunrise on the edge of the Grand Canyon, three cherries on a slot machine, getting married at the Reno Hilton while attending a reunion of Vietnam pilots and their wives, staying in St. Petersburg, Russia and being followed by the KGB whenever we wandered from the hotel, and in Moscow celebrating the 4th of July at a Russian castled sponsored by the American Embassy. While in Poland once, our luggage was not very well guarded in the hotel lobby. Later when it was delivered to our room, Carolyn was not particularly pleased that mine was adorned with multiple business cards from “ladies of the night.” In addition to our worldly travels, we attended for more than twenty years the annual reunion of our small group of remaining Vietnam pilots (Voodoo 101’s). Carolyn became a true Air Force wife even though our marriage began after I retired. We were privileged to see and experience some of the world’s most special sites together – The Louvre, Monet’s Garden, Christmas at Kennedy Center, a church inside the Rock of Gibraltar, precision horseback riders in Madrid, a Marrakesh market complete with cobras for sale, tea in a Spanish cave, then called a “donkey garage,” one the world’s most treasured art museums in St. Petersburg, Russia, New Year’s Eve at Moulin Rouge, a climb to the top of the stairs of Mont-Saint-Michel in southern France, the redwood and sequoia forests of our western U.S., the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, dinner at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, the Petrified Forest National Park, the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, and the food and art scene in Key West, where we spent many Christmas’. During all of this, yes, we were holding hands. Carolyn was not a club kind of gal, but that didn’t keep her from loving the Air Force Officers Wives Club, Hampton Garden Club, Newport News Garden Club and the James River Country Club, where I enjoyed golf as much as I could. There was, however, a short period in our love affair we weren’t holding hands. That was when we were each on the back of a motorcycle while riding with and enjoying an honorary membership of Rolling Thunder. This is a group whose original mission was to honor Prisoner’s of War (POWs) and those Missing in Action (MIAs), but is now solely devoted to all veterans. Twice we rode in the annual motorcycle rally held in Washington, D.C. Carolyn is survived by two children, four grandchildren and along with Jerry, seven great-grandchildren. There will be a Celebration of Life in Newport News on a date to be announced. A Memorial Service will be held in Lithonia (Atlanta) Georgia at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 6 at Henry Funeral Home. Internment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, where Jerry plans to join his beloved Carolyn at a later date. There they will hold hands forever.