Joyce Rodgers

Joyce Edna Rodgers was born October 19, 1944 in St. Louis, Missouri to the union of Robert R. Walker and Ethel M. Smith. Joyce was baptized at St. Luke Memorial Baptist Church on September 12, 1957 by the late Pastor J.L. House.

Joyce married Richard B. Rodgers on June 18, 1960. To this union two children were born - Marilyn Rene' and Richard Christopher in St. Louis, Missouri. She moved to San Francisco on November 8, 1968 and was employed by the City and County of San Francisco for 26 years as a dispatcher for the San Francisco Police Department. She also worked for the McAvoy Yacht Harbor after her retirement from the City.

Joyce joined Good Hope Baptist Church on December 13, 1984 under the leadership of Rev. Rance Whiteside where she was a Choir member, Vice President of the Choir, member of the Mission Society and Second Vice President Supervisor of the Youth Choir. In 1990, Joyce moved to Vallejo, CA and continued to commute to Good Hope for 12 years until she joined Union Baptist Church in Vallejo on November 4, 2001 under the leadership of Rev. J.W. McCoy where she became a member of the Missions Ministry and served as Secretary of Senior Missions and member of the Pastor’s Aide group.

Joyce enjoyed spending time with her family, most notably her grandchildren. As the matriarch of a prominent football family, Joyce led the squad in cheering for any member of the family on the field or on the sidelines, marshalling the forces while engaging in ever-entertaining rivalries and fun encouragement. She served her church with energetic grace and compassion. Joyce embodied the Christian mandate to love one another because He has first loved us. For this reason, she left her indelible fingerprints on each life that intersected her own.

Joyce is survived by her dearest friend and sister, Maggie L. Myles; her loving children, Marilyn R. Byrd and her husband Gill, and Richard C. Rodgers and his wife Sara; her cherished grandchildren, Gill II and Jairus of Marilyn and Gill, Kayla (Maurice), Richard II, and Damon of Richard and Mindy Mashore Rodgers, and Noah and Evan of Richard and Sara Rodgers; her beloved great-grandchildren Brooklyn, Bailey, Jai, Berkeley, and Adalynn; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who are too numerous to mention but who also carry her love and kindness with them always.