Anthony Rodgers, Sr. (66), transcended into Sunset on May 13, 2017 at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida.
He is a native son of Jacksonville, Florida. He grew up in the Moncrief area where he proudly graduated from William M. Raines, Class of 1969.
He graduated from the Police Academy in 1973 and was the first African-American Officer to patrol the Southside and Arlington Areas. He started his career in law enforcement as a corrections officer and progressed to become “A New Breed of Cop” as posted in a news article after joining the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) in 1974. He was employed by JSO retiring after 25 years of service.
Rodgers was a pioneer in many ways as one of the founding members of the Jacksonville Brotherhood of Police Officers. “The Brotherhood,” was a primarily African-American support organization for officers of color.
“Anthony Rodgers fought for the cause when others couldn’t and wouldn’t. Many have walked through the doors of opportunity that he fought to open”, said Stephen Spates.
Rodgers served as president of the Brotherhood and the local NAACP. He was also a member of the Urban League, the Northwest Sertoma Club, James Weldon Johnson Branch YMCA Board of Directors, was a founding member of the 100 Black Men and served on the Board of the N.E. Florida Community Action Agency.
One of his greatest passions in life was being an advocate for Raines High School. He founded the athletic boosters association and was former President of the Raines National Alumni Association. One of his proudest accomplishments was that all four of his children were Raines graduates.
After years of service to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, he was able to return to Raines as the School Resource Officer. Later after his retirement he took up the mantle as head of security for Edward Waters College.
He leaves to honor his life and times, his mother, Clara Lee Washington; sons, Anthony Rodgers, Jr., Edward Rodgers, Duane Bonton, and Eric Rodgers; daughter, Martisha Rodgers-Upson; sisters, Kathy Rosier, Omeria Cliett, and Marva Rodgers Hilliard (Charlton); brothers, Jimmie Elerby, Randall Rodgers, Kenneth Rodgers, Derrick Rodgers, and Kenneth Rodgers; 13 grandchildren, and a host of other loving relatives and friends.
The Celebration and African Spiritual Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, June 1, 2017 in the Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center, 129 East Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Interment will be in Edgewood Cemetery immediately following the service with Police Honors by the Jacksonville Police Honor Guard. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 31, from 4 – 7 p.m. at Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 1620 Helena St. Condolences can be expressed online at www.holmesgloversolomonfuneraldirectors.com.
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