Danny Federico
Reporter3@riverbendnews.org
On Saturday, Feb. 5, the City of Live Oak bid farewell to a beloved employee, Roy Waldo Rogers, who passed away at his home in Jasper. Rogers, age 72, was born on Sept. 18, 1949, to Waldo and Geneva Trull Rogers in Lowndes County, Ga. He graduated from Lowndes County High and Valdosta State College. In 1973, Rogers married Sybil Johnson and, together, they have three daughters. He was a deacon and an active member of the First Baptist Church in Jasper.
Rogers was also well-known as the City of Live Oak Building Inspector. Rogers was first hired with the City of Live Oak in May 2003 as the full-time Building Inspector until his retirement in August 2016. However, after a brief retirement, he returned as a part-time Building Inspector in May 2018.
“Mr. Rogers was respected and thought highly of by all the employees and will be truly missed,” the City of Live Oak stated in a Facebook post.
"Roy was both a personal friend and a professional colleague of mine for the past 14 years. I was proud to serve along side of him and even more grateful to be his supervisor this past year. His contributions to the city are innumerable and his positive impact will remain for many years to come," said George Curtis, City Manager. "He was a faithful public servant who always put community above self in a kind, compassionate manner - willing to help find a path for projects to both adhere to the code as well as be feasible for the customer. He embodied true character, professionalism, friendliness and faithfulness in all he did for the city. He was respected by many, will be sorely missed and we express our sincere condolences to his wife and family and will keep them in our prayers."
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Sybil; his daughters, Jennifer Andrews (Stephen), Denise Selph (Clint) and April DeRocco (Laddie), along with 12 grandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 11 a.m., at the First Baptist Church, located at 207 2nd St. NE, in Jasper. Interment will follow at Lake Park Cemetery, located at 6451 Ocean Pond Ave., in Lake Park, Ga. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the First Baptist Church Youth at 207 2nd St. NE, Jasper, Fla. 32052. Harry T. Reid Funeral Home of Jasper is in charge of arrangements. To provide words of comfort to the family, sign the guestbook at harrytreidfh.com/guestbook/roy-rogers.