James William Rogers, DDS

BOSSIER CITY, LA – Funeral services for Dr. James William Rogers, age 92, will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, November 10, 2023, at First Baptist Church of Bossier City’s chapel under the direction of Boone Funeral Home.  Officiating will be Dr. Brad Jurkovich, Senior Pastor of First Bossier.  The family will receive friends beginning at 11:30 am to be immediately followed by the funeral service.  Interment will be at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home and Park in Haughton, LA, led by Bro. Harrell Shelton, Associate Pastor of Airline Baptist Church. Serving as pallbearers will be the Bossier City Marshal’s Office.

Jim is survived by his two sons and their families:  Doug Rogers, and his wife, Susan, of Bossier City; and Langston Rogers, and his wife, Stephanie, and their daughter, Alison, of Hattiesburg, MS; his brother, Jerry Rogers, and his wife, Mary Sue, of Niceville, FL; and many beloved nieces and nephews and their children.  Jim was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Billie Richardson Rogers; his parents, Jewel Olland Rogers and Clara Tyler Rogers; his sisters, Elma Rogers Poer and Jessie Rogers Zeanah; and his brothers, Melvin Douglas Rogers and Johnny Mack Rogers, Ph.D.

Known as Pop, Daddy, Granddaddy, Jim, Jimmy, and Dr. Rogers, he led a well-lived life.  He was a native of Alabama and served as an airman at Barksdale Air Force Base during the Korean War repairing Norden bombsights. Jim was initially an electrician working at Kaiser Aluminum in New Orleans in the 1950s where he met Billie, and later decided to return to school to pursue the dental profession.  Graduating from the Loyola University School of Dentistry in New Orleans, he and Billie made their way to north Louisiana to eventually settle in Bossier City where they raised their family.  Early on, Jim had dental practices in both Bossier City and Plain Dealing and made many friends.  He developed special relationships with his patients and their families.

Jim believed in investing in his community.  Upon his arrival in Bossier City, he joined the Lions Club where he proudly served with many good friends for decades.  Mayor Don E. Jones asked him to serve on the Bossier City-Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission, which Jim thoroughly enjoyed.  Later, he was elected to four terms as Bossier City Council Member for District 5 where Jim was a consistent, conservative voice.  Jim was a founding Director of Citizens National Bank of Bossier City.  After serving as a Director for 34 years, Jim transitioned to Director Emeritus in 2019.  He loved the people of Citizens National Bank and City of Bossier City.  Giving back to the community that had been so good to him and his family provided him great satisfaction. 

Ultimately, Jim was a man of deep faith who trusted the Lord completely.  He and Billie raised their sons in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and he always found his compass heading based on what he believed was consistent with his faith.  He was quick to give God the glory for the good things in his life, and he leaned on that faith during the difficulties.  He loved his Sunday school class at First Bossier for many years until he could no longer attend.  Don Johnson and later Sonny DePrang led a great group of older men who shared the camaraderie he especially needed in his older years.  His lunches with his special friend, Mike Kling, were each week’s highlight.  Jim never got over losing Billie who was the love of his life.  As believers in the Gospel of Christ, we know they are at last reunited.  Most of all, Jim wanted to finally see his Savior, Jesus.  He had a picture of him on the wall in his den and frequently wondered what Jesus really looks like.  Now he knows.

The family would like to thank Dr. Bipin Turakhia for his friendship and the special care he and his staff provided Jim for many decades.  Jim had many close friendships in the dental and medical professions, and he loved watching that community grow in Bossier Parish.  Helping others gave him great satisfaction.

We have all heard the funeral sermons about a person’s life being the “dash” that connects the years of birth to death on a headstone.  Jim’s “dash” was fully lived, and he would tell you his secret was his unwavering faith that the Lord would take care of him even in death.  He taught his family that you cannot truly love other people like they should be loved unless you first love the Lord.  That he did well, and we have confidence Jim is finally home with the Savior who brought him peace and assurance throughout his life.  He heard a lot of good sermons over his lifetime and enjoyed hearing his friends’ views on the Bible.  But to Jim, John 3:16 was always good enough:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Jim knew he was a “whosoever.”

His granddaughter, Alison, was the apple of his eye.  She brought him true happiness, and she was his pride and joy.  He loved Alison “to the moon and back!” as they frequently shared with one another.  Lastly, he loved his daughters-in-law, Susan and Stephanie.  He considered them to be his daughters and was grateful they chose to join our family.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials in Jim’s name be made to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, 303 East Wacker Drive, Suite 2300, Chicago, IL  60601-5224 (ifcj.org) or to a charity of the donor’s choice.