James Edward Rodgers died on October 18, 2024. He was 90 years old.
He grew into a young man in Providence, RI, surrounded by his mother, father and his four sisters. He always had great stories to tell about growing up in a working class, ethnically diverse neighborhood during World War II, when his father worked as an electrician in the naval shipyards. If you ever needed a tour of the old neighborhood, he was your tour guide.
He was a family man – a loving husband and a great father whose biggest joy was his two grandchildren.
He was an airman who served his country in the U.S. Air Force and who came to Madison when he was stationed at Truax Field. It was while he was there that he met his future wife, Carol, from Spring Green. It was through her and her family that he came to appreciate life and farming in rural Wisconsin.
He was a union man who as a carpenter helped construct many buildings in Madison and across southern Wisconsin. Many of those buildings still stand today.
He was a gracious man who always listened to your story with great interest and offered to help when he could. He had a way with people, even strangers, that made them feel welcome.