Frank Joseph Rodgers, 83, of Westfield, NJ, and Waitsfield, died
peacefully on October 1, 2009, at the Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch
Plains, NJ.
Relatives and friends called from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7,
at the Dooley Colonial Funeral Home, 556 Westfield Ave., Westfield. A
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday,
October 8, at The Catholic Church of the Holy, 315 First St.,
Westfield. Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield.
Mr. Rodgers was born on March 7, 1926, in Roselle, NJ, and was the son
of Frank and Margaret Rodgers. He was a 1944 graduate of Roselle High
School and obtained a B.S. in engineering from Rutgers University. He
served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. In
1959, Mr. Rodgers married his wife, Lorraine Johnson, who he met when
both were members of the Plainfield Ski Club.
He went on to found Nycoil Company, and in 1978 was granted a patent
for his recoil air hose and swivel fitting. Throughout his career, he
was active in the fluid power industry and served as chairman of the
Fluid Power Association.
After retiring, Mr. Rodgers took up flying, obtaining his pilot's
license at the age of 70. He loved his Vermont home and continued to
ski well into his 80s.
He was a resident of Westfield for 47 years and was active in town
politics, serving as First Ward Councilman for six years. He was a
Scoutmaster of Westfield Boy Scout Troop 172 and served as an executive
board member of the Boy Scouts Council. A gifted singer, he was a
member of the Plainfield Barber Shop Quartet.
In his later years, he was a member of Vermont Rotary Club and
Sugarbush Soaring Club. Mr. Rodgers is survived by his beloved wife of
50 years, Lorraine Johnson Rodgers; his sons, David Rodgers of South
Carolina, Raymond Rodgers of Westfield, NJ, and Brian Rodgers and his
wife, Katie, of Cranford, NJ; his sisters, Virginia Honald of Summit,
NJ, Eileen Sharkey of Brick, NJ, Marie Wolfe of Avon, CT, and Florence
Fiorello of Somerset, NJ; his brother, Robert Rodgers of Clinton, NJ;
his two cherished grandchildren, MaryBeth and Colleen Rodgers, and many
nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sisters, Dorothy McGuire
and Margaret Rodgers.
In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions can be made to the Center
for Hope Hospice at 1900 Raritan Rd., Scotch Plains, NJ 07076, or the
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 1322 N. Halsted St., Suite 201, Chicago,
IL 60642.
