William Rodgers Obituary

William Sinclair Rodgers, Jr. MT. PLEASANT - William "Bill" Sinclair Rodgers, Jr., 84, of Mount Pleasant, SC, passed away after a courageous battle with health issues, surrounded by family on March 12, 2025. He was born August 31, 1940 to William Sinclair Rodgers, Sr. and Frances Caldwell Rodgers and was raised in Columbia, SC. Bill was loved by everyone he came into contact with, always leaving a lasting impression. He was a proud Eagle Scout and embodied leadership and service for humanity. He spent nine summers as a camper and camp counselor to Camp Barstow, where he taught rowing and canoeing to hundreds of campers for merit badges. As a young boy, he spent a great deal of family time at Pawley's Island, body surfing and enjoying the ocean. He attended Columbia High School, where he was elected Senior Class President and was voted "Best All Around." He graduated in 1961 from Clemson University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. When Clemson didn't allow freshmen to attend football games, he decided to join the Cheerleading squad so he could watch the games. He also served as President of the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity. After graduation, he became an officer in the Air Force and started his 20-year career at the National Security Agency. In 1964, while working as a Cryptologist in Encryption Communication, he fell in love with his secretary, Carole. They married in 1965 and welcomed three beautiful children - Carole Ann, Cathy, and William "Billy." They lived in Bowie, Maryland for 26 years and were very involved in community activities. Bill coached all of his children in basketball and soccer, and he played volleyball at Whitehall Pool & Tennis. He was known as the "go-to-guy" who was extremely generous with his time and energy and could fix anything. He shared his love of the outdoors, camping, hiking, and skiing with not only his family, but also with his children's friends. In 1986, he left NSA to work for Defense Intelligence Agency, allowing him to travel the world. He was part of the team of 12 that worked on the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. After a distinguished career serving at the two agencies, he retired in 1993. He and Carole moved to Charleston National in Mount Pleasant, SC (Charleston) in 1995 to enjoy the ocean and to be closer to family. Bill worked part-time repairing computers and also served as a long-term substitute in Charleston County Schools and at Bishop England High School. He especially liked teaching math classes. His wife, Carole,, decided to become a flight attendant, and they had an amazing time traveling the world, visiting grandchildren around the country, cruising, and attending family reunions in Litchfield Beach. He was full of talents, including playing the harmonica, whistling, telling stories and jokes and singing old Boy Scout songs. He enjoyed easy listening tunes, museums, model trains, skiing and taking trips to Myrtle Beach. His charm, kindness, appreciation, positivity, and generosity always left a lasting impression on others. He encouraged everyone to enjoy life and to find a way to laugh every day. He treasured his beautiful retirement city of Charleston and loved to show off its charm to friends and family who visited over the years. He loved his sweet tea (extra sweet) and all the great restaurants in his beloved town. When he would talk about his love for South Carolina and Clemson University, it would bring him to tears. He is survived by his loving children, Carole Ann Strange of Davidsonville, MD, Cathy Tade (Mark) of Detroit, MI, and Billy Rodgers (Jen) of Augusta, GA; nine grandchildren, Michael (Michelle), Connor, Brendan, Colby, Lily, Jess, Mikey, Valentina, Camila and great-granddaughter, Hallie; sister, Frances Finch and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, William and Frances Rodgers, Sr., devoted wife, Carole Rodgers, and beloved son-in-law, Michael "Mike" Strange. The family will receive friends at the J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Mount Pleasant Chapel on Friday, March 28, 2025 from 1-3pm, service from 3-3:45pm followed by entombment at 4pm next door at the Mount Pleasant Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.