Eric James Rodgers

ERIC JAMES RODGERS, Age 60
DOB: October 22, 1964, DEOLS, FRANCE 36000
DOD: April 9, 2025, PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA
Eric James Rodgers Tragically struck and killed by a negligent driver while walking to work, Eric James Rodgers leaves behind a legacy of creativity, resilience, and community.
Born in the small town of Déols, France, to James Woodburn Rodgers and Marie Madeleine Eugénie Herbet Rodgers, Eric spent his early years near Châteauroux, home to the largest post–World War II U.S. Air Force base in Europe. The base, built under the Marshall Plan, served as a vital hub for American military operations across the continent. When the base was closed in 1967 by order of French President Charles de Gaulle, the Rodgers family relocated multiple times across Europe before ultimately settling in the United States in 1969.
Eric graduated from SAIL High School in Tallahassee, Florida, and went on to become a trailblazer in the North Florida punk rock scene. Alongside his close friend John Oliver Hodges, he helped form The Little Little Johnnys, later gaining a devoted following with the influential band Hated Youth.
Passionate and hardworking, Eric opened Honest Engines Auto Repair in Tallahassee, where he served the community with skill and integrity for over 12 years. In 2010, he made a new home in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Eric is survived by his daughter, Cheyenne Anderson; his brothers, Daniel, Clark, and Alain Rodgers, and Gerard Duflot; and his sisters, Barbara Allen and Chantal Duflot.
He will be remembered for his fierce individuality, generous spirit, and love for his family and friends.
Heritage Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of ERIC JAMES RODGERS.