Robert 'Bob' Rodgers

Robert (Bob) Lee Rodgers went to his Heavenly home on June 9, 2025 following a battle with cancer. Born May 14, 1947, to William and Virginia (Bedard) Rodgers in Waukegan, Illinois, he spent his childhood in Round Lake, Illinois where he enjoyed fishing and learning to play the saxophone. He was first chair in band all the way through high school and also played for church services. After graduation in 1965, Bob made his way to Longview, Texas to enter LeTourneau College (before it was University) as a mechanical engineering student. He loved his studies, but after his junior year, his draft number was getting close and he decided to join the Air Force. Bob served as an electronics engineer with a specialty in both electronics and radio/television communications in the U. S. Air Force from 1968 to 1972 at Chanute AFB in Illinois, then Sondrestrom, Greenland for the early warning system. His final duty station was Brooks Aerospace Medical Center in San Antonio working in radiobiology as well as research and development on the space program. After military service, he returned to Longview to finish his degree at LeTourneau. He took a part-time job at The Camera Shop Hallmark in downtown Longview as stock clerk and before long, he quickly progressed to General Manager in recognition of his knowledge of photography and administrative abilities. He then ultimately purchased the store in 1983, when the owner retired. It was at The Camera Shop Hallmark that Bob met his wife, Betty, when she brought in film to be developed. They were married in 1980 and just celebrated their forty-fifth anniversary on June 7th. Over the years, Bob received awards for his photography including winning 3rd place in a national photo contest and receiving the President’s Award in the annual Texas Bank & Trust contest. Bob Rodgers taught photography and darkroom classes for Kilgore College, LeTourneau University and Daingerfield High School as well as at The Camera Shop, plus he judged a number of photo contests. Bob also ran a successful black and white darkroom at home for many years as a side business. He had loved photography since he was a young man with a Brownie camera and developed it into his lifelong profession at The Camera Shop Hallmark Gold Crown for 47 years. It was necessary for him to retire in 2019 when he closed the store due to his advanced kidney disease and need for a transplant. He miraculously received that kidney on Christmas Day 2022, but the anti-rejection meds he had to take made him very susceptible to getting cancer, which ultimately took his life. Bob never met a stranger and was never at a loss for words. He loved to kid around with people and always had a joke or two handy. When he was out and about, he knew so many people in the community, that his son-in-law dubbed him “Mayor Bob”! In June 1972, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Reserve was formed and Bob Rodgers was the last of the reserve deputies sworn into that original group when he retired in 2023, after more than fifty years of serving Gregg County as a dedicated officer. The reserves were designed to receive the required classroom law enforcement training along with shooting range skills to earn their credentials and were then placed so that there would be two officers per unit when on patrol out in the county. Over the years, Bob received Reserve Officer of the Year three times and thoroughly enjoyed his time in law enforcement. He has been a member of First Baptist Church for over thirty years and has been active in the Precept Lifegroup Class. Bob was also a member of the Longview Rotary Club for twenty-six years and was President of the Longview Downtown Development Corporation from 1983-1985. Bob is survived by his wife of forty-five years, Betty, and son, William Scott Rodgers (Crystal), daughter, Michele Simpson (Scott), grandchildren, Sabrina Stopka (Sean), Hunter Rodgers, Ethan Rodgers, Shawn Simpson and Steven Simpson. He is also survived by his sister Karen Hane (Don), sister-in-law Carolyn Ramirez, nephew, Jeff Buehring and nieces, Kristen Weglarz, Kimberly Duquette (Mark) and great-nieces, Madison and Vivian Weglarz, and his beloved dog Cricket. A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, June 14, at 10 am in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church, Longview followed by a Committal Service at Rosewood Cemetery Mausoleum. Visitation will be Friday evening, from 5 until 7 pm at Rader Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to First Baptist Church or a charity of your choice. The funeral service will be streamed on the First Baptist Church of Longview's Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/FIRSTBAPTISTCHURCHLONGVIEW)

Robert 'Bob' Rodgers

May 14, 1947 - June 9, 2025