Rodgers Hollis

“And when great souls die, after a period, peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed” –Maya Angelou

Rodgers Gray Hollis was born in Denver, Colorado on May 10, 1954 to Willie Lee and Willie Gray (Guyton) Hollis. He grew up in Denver with his four siblings: Lieutenant, Telela, Alfonso and William. He was educated in the Denver Public School system.

In 1983, Rodgers married Jackie Wilkerson in a small ceremony in her sister’s living room. Together, they had one daughter, Shauna. Rodgers was friendly and well known by many tenants in his apartment complex and surrounding neighborhood. He opened his home to many and it was not uncommon to find his apartment full of family and friends at any given time. He was a fan of James Brown and his daughter has many fond memories of him snapping his fingers to the music and making hilarious attempts at imitating the singer’s dance moves. Rodgers lived life to the fullest and through many bouts of adversity, he still found ways to thrive and keep a smile on his face.

Rodgers passed away on March 4, 2021. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Alfonso and sister, Telela. He will be greatly missed. His memory will be cherished by his daughter, two brothers, and several other relatives and friends.

In honor of Rodgers, a Visitation will be held, Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 9-11AM at Pipkin Braswell (6601 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80220). Graveside Service, 12:30PM at St. Simeon Cemetery (22001 CO-30, Aurora, CO 80018).