Frederick (Fred) Lawrence Rodgers, 80, passed away on November 8, 2024, after a courageous battle with COPD. Fred was born in Luton, England, on October 23, 1944, the only child of Frederick Charles Beckley and Hilda Margaret Rodgers. After leaving grammar school, Fred went to work for Laporte Industries in Luton while simultaneously studying for his chemical engineering degree in London. In 1969 Fred moved with Laporte to Grimsby in the north-east of England, where he met Marguerite Anne Beckett, whom he married in 1971.
Fred started work for The Quaker Oats Company (Chemicals Division) in London in 1970. In 1974 Fred accepted an offer to work for Quaker Oats in the US, and in December that year, he and Marguerite moved from England to Memphis, TN with their 3-month-old first child (Dana). In 1975 they moved to Houston, TX, where their second child (Michael) was born. In 1984, they moved back to Memphis, and Fred continued work on local and regional projects for QO/Great Lakes Chemical Company while also applying his keen engineering skills to ambitious DIY projects.
Fred had a passion for British steam trains since he was a young boy. He enjoyed collecting model locomotives and visiting historic train sites in both the US and UK. Fred was also a fan of NASCAR racing, and his enthusiasm for motor vehicles could be seen in his prior ownership of an MG convertible in England, a Pontiac Firebird in Texas.
During the 1990s Fred increasingly shared time between El Dorado and Memphis, and in 2000, with both children having finished college, he and Marguerite moved to El Dorado. Fred received his US citizenship in 2008, and was equally proud of his British heritage and his American home of nearly 50 years. With one child living in the US and the other in England, his dual US-UK citizenship is well represented by his children; as is his passion for science and technology, with each of them developing careers in Computer Engineering and Audiovisual Engineering.
In 2014 he retired from Great Lakes Chemical Company at age 70 with 44 years of service, having survived several changes of ownership. He was a dedicated and talented project manager.
Fred is survived by his wife of 53 years, Marguerite; two children, Dana of Cleveland, Ohio, and Michael of London, England; and two granddaughters, Lilith of Chicago, Illinois, and Willow of Kent, Ohio.
Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Young’s Funeral Directors. Visitation will be on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 1:00-2:00 pm in Young's Chapel, followed by a memorial service officiated by Pastor Bill Odom, from 2:00-3:00 pm.
Memorials may be made to the SouthArk Foundation for the Fred & Marguerite Rodgers Endowed Scholarship, UCAPS in El Dorado, or the charity of the donors choice.
Condolences can be expressed online at www.youongsfuneralhome.com
