Eugene F. Rogers

WWII United States Marine Corps veteran Eugene F. Rogers passed away at Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community in West Columbia, SC, on April 11, 2026. His funeral is scheduled to be held at Shandon Presbyterian Church, 607 Woodrow Street, Columbia, SC, on Wednesday, April 22nd at 11:30 a. m.

A reception will be held immediately following the service in Davis Hall at the church. Burial with full military honors will follow the reception at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 7100 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, in the Rogers family plot. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

Gene was born in Finklea Crossroads between Loris and Green Sea, SC, on August 7, 1929, to Bert and Gertrude Williams Rogers.

He attended various Marion County schools, including Gapway, Nichols, and Mullins. He graduated at age 16 from Marion High School in 1946. He earned a letter in football with the 1945-46 Marion football team and was selected as the most original member of his class.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on his 17th birthday and underwent basic training at the Parris Island SC Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot. After basic training, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the US Navy Base, Norfolk, Virginia, and was with the Atlantic Force USMC with duty aboard the USS Constellation, a hospital ship which was then used as a troop transport. After brief duty in Guantanamo, Cuba, he served in the West Indies with duty on the Island of Vieques, PR, the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station and the San Juan Naval Air Station, with additional duty in the U.S. Virgin Islands. While in the Marine Corps, he earned sharpshooter status with the ml Garand rifle and expert marksmanship with the 1911 Al 45 pistol.

Following discharge from the Marine Corps, he attended the University of South Carolina academic and law school. While there, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma social fraternity and Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity. He was a member of the University's debate team, the University Players, and served as president of the Clariosophic Literary Society.

While at USC he was in the first Air Force ROTC program, following President Truman's 1947 Military Reorganization Act, and on November 25, 1950, the day North Korea invaded South Korea, he was traveling through Amarillo, TX, on his way to Lowry Air Force Base for summer training. He was a distinguished military graduate in the AFROTC program and qualified for a regular commission. He declined regular commission and accepted a reserve commission.

Gene was discharged as a corporal in the Marine Corps, as a captain in the Air Force Reserve and enlisted in the SC State Guard as a major and retired as a Major General. He was a life member of Marine Corps League 829 Palmetto Chapter and was a life member of the American Legion, Post #2, Antigua, Guatemala, Department of Mexico.

The South Carolina Supreme Court permitted first semester seniors with the potential of active-duty orders to take the bar exam early. Gene did so, was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in June 1952 at the age of 22. He began the practice of law in the afternoons with attorney Frank L. Taylor in Columbia and attended Law School until his graduation on September 13, 1952. He served as an adjunct professor at the USC Law School from 1956 to 1958.

Gene was admitted to the US Supreme Court on May 28, 1956, at age 26. He was a founding member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in SC and a founding member of the American Board of Trial Attorneys in SC. Gene continued as a member of the American Bar Association, SC Bar Association, American Board of Trial Advocates, and as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers until his passing. He received from Martindale Hubbell the highest rating AV for competency and integrity for over 40 years.

On June 15, 1963, Gene was invited and participated in a conference with President John F. Kennedy on civil rights issues in the nation. He accepted the invitation and was with President Kennedy in the Oval Office.

In 1964 he represented the American Bar Association at a conference with the Law Society of England and Wales at Oxford University.

The law firm Gene organized, Rogers Townsend, has offices in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, Beaufort, SC and Charlotte, NC.

Gene is the recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor in the State of SC, in recognition of his contributions and friendship to the State of South Carolina and her people.

He remained active in military matters and chaired a dinner in Columbia on September 30, 2004, honoring the living SC Recipients of the Medal of Honor and the SC families of 32 deceased Recipients,

Following this successful event, he chaired the 2010 National Medal of Honor Convention in Charleston, SC. Of the 75 then living Recipients in the nation, 52 attended the Charleston event.

Recipients, according to a press report, agreed this was the finest convention ever. It was the one by which others would be judged.

Gene was first married to the late Susan Dodson on December 30, 1954. They are the parents of two children, Dr. Eugene F. Rogers, Jr. (Derek Krueger), professor at the University of NC Greensboro, and Carol Rogers Papaletsos (Margarito Asiain) of Rafina, Greece, and Columbia, SC. He has one grandson, Michael Eugene Papaletsos of Crete, Greece and numerous nieces, nephews. He is predeceased by his sister, Betty Rogers Capps and his sister, Lucy Rogers.

Gene had 45 happy years with Susan who passed away in 1999. Thereafter he married Elsie Rast Stuart. He told people he had been married twice, and his second wife was in both weddings. The first was as a bridesmaid and the second as bride. He is survived by his beloved wife, Elsie.

His first wife, Susan, graduated from Agnes Scott, and he has funded the Susan Dodson Rogers Scholarship Foundation at Agnes Scott. It is requested that memorials be made to the Susan Dodson Rogers Memorial Foundation at Agnes Scott College at 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030.

Memories and condolences may be shared at ShivesFuneralHome.com.