Phyllis Rodgers

RODGERS, Phyllis

Phyllis Allie Taylor Rodgers was born on February 25, 1933 in Cubage, Bell County, Kentucky. She died on August 26, 2024 in Marietta, Georgia.

Her parents were Laura Roberts Taylor and James Moody Taylor, and she was the eldest of four children, including Alice Taylor Redmon, James Moody Taylor, and John Allen Taylor.

She was raised, as the daughter and granddaughter of school teachers, in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky and attended college at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky.

Phyllis married Robert "Bob" Ligon Rodgers on July 3, 1955, in Middlesboro, Kentucky. They moved to Marietta, Georgia soon after and lived in Marietta for a short time and then in Smyrna until her death.

Phyllis and Bob had three daughters: Nancy Rodgers Cotney, Mary Rodgers Seel (Anthony Seel), and Sally Rodgers Hanna (Frank Hanna). They have four grandchildren: Laura Cotney (Branson Simmons), Rebecca Seel, Daniel Seel (Morgan Johnson), and Elizabeth Hanna Pham (An Pham). They have seven great-grandchildren: Joseph Pham, Nicholas Pham, Gabriel Pham, Christopher Pham, Blaise Pham, Rosemary Pham, Moses Pham; and an eighth great-grandchild, Baby Cotney-Simmons, coming in December.

Phyllis devoted herself to raising her daughters and making a lovely, orderly home for us until she returned to college in 1970 at Georgia State University, completing her bachelor's degree in 1973. She then worked from 1973 until her retirement in 1989 as an elementary school teacher in the Cobb County Public School system. She was an excellent teacher, asking of her students, as she did of all who knew her, their best.

Phyllis loved all things beautiful – flowers, art, nature, music, colors. She was a Cobb County Master Gardener. She was strong, resilient, capable, confident, and the most skilled of managers. Phyllis was perceptive, interested until the end in the wider world, and, though she did not love technology, she learned how to use it for her own purposes. She both loved and respected tradition but never hesitated to go against the grain and do things her own way. She was an excellent cook and made all sorts of delicious dishes for her family, many of those foods reflecting her mountain roots. Phyllis felt a strong connection with and pride in her ancestors and shared eloquently of their lives through her many stories about them and through her large collection of photos of those in her family who had come before her. She delighted in being with her family members and loved us all with a fierce love. She was the greatest of gift givers, remembering family members with thoughtful, carefully chosen gifts on every special occasion. Phyllis's greatest gift of all was the gift of herself, freely given, poured out in love for us all.

Phyllis will be buried in Silver Hill, Georgia.

Her favorite Psalm was Psalm:121, which her grandson was reading to her as she took her last breath: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth".

Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.