James E. “Barney” Rodgers Jr., age 62, died at his home in Waterford on Monday, May 6, 2013. Born in Union City on February 24, 1951, he was a son of the late James E. Rodgers Sr. and Bernice Mitchell Rodgers.

Rodgers, James E. Jim was a veteran of the United States Army serving two tours in Vietnam. He retired in 2009 after 36 years of employment with General Electric. He loved his family very much and enjoyed many pleasures in life including “van jams”, fishing with his grandchildren, NASCAR and drivers Earnhardt Sr. and Jr., the Dallas Cowboys, and his former pet dog, Ziggy. He was a member of American Legion Post #285 in Waterford.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his mother-in-law, Patricia Elder, and three brothers-in-law, Bradley and Patrick Elder, and Tony Porfilio.

Survivors include his wife, Debbie A. Guianen Rodgers; a daughter, Lydia Guianen of Waterford; three granddaughters, Alexis, Bailey, and Tessa Bellis; two sisters, Joanne Porfilio of Leesburg, FL, and Peggy Gross and husband Richard of Tucson, AZ; two brothers, Steve Rodgers of Cranesville, and Jerry Rodgers of Erie; father-in-law, Robert Elder of Waterford, sister-in-law, Margaret Kertulus and husband Joe of Erie, and brother-in-law, Thomas Elder of Union City.

Friends may call at the Van Matre Funeral Home, 105 Walnut Street, Waterford on Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. and may attend funeral services there Friday at 10:00 a.m. Rev. Gregory Jack of the Waterford Church of the Nazarene will officiate. Burial with U.S. Army Military Honors assisted by the Erie Crawford County Burial Detail will be in Waterford Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Veterans Memorial at the new Waterford Cemetery, c/o American Legion Post 285, PO Box 171, Waterford, PA 16441.