Francis “Birdie” Rogers of Cave City, Arkansas passed away on Saturday, November 25, 2023, in Cave City at the age of 82 years old. He was born February 15, 1941, in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas to Louis Eugene and Vivian (Burke) Rogers.
Birdie graduated from Mammoth Spring High School in 1958. He accepted a four-year basketball scholarship to Arkansas College (Lyon) at Batesville, Arkansas. He was a four-year letterman for the Scots. He was one of the top five scorers in AIC. In 1989, he was inducted into the Lyon College Athletic Hall of Fame for basketball and in 2002, was inducted into the Batesville Area Hall of Fame for coaching. In 2020, he was inducted into the Cave City Hall of Fame. Birdie taught and coached for 31 years at five Arkansas High Schools. His most successful was in 1969-1970 at Searcy High School boys basketball program that won the AA State Championship.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Joyce Wilf Rogers.
Birdie is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Carol Hays Rogers of the home; his daughters, Lisa Rogers Butler (Ron) of Southhaven, Mississippi, Beth Rogers Qualls (Mark) of Searcy, Arkansas; four grandchildren, Tyler Jones, Tanner Jones, Haley Cleveland (Will) and Kelsey Qualls; six great-grandchildren; sister in law, Crystal McMichael (Robert); mother in law, Wilma Rawlings; and a special loved one, Amanda Turner Sanders.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 28, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Qualls Funeral Home Chapel in Cave City.
Graveside services will be held Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cave City Cemetery with Roger Hook and Mark Smith officiating.
Pallbearers will be Mark Qualls, Ron Butler, Jim Hansen, Mark Smith, Robert Dean Coles and Pete Edwards.
Honorary pallbearers are Robert McMichael, Lonnie Weber, Eddie Turner, Bobbi Tosh and Amanda Sanders.
Arrangements are by Qualls Funeral Home of Cave City, Arkansas.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cave City Athletic Department or the Lyon College Athletic Department.
