Posted on 06/01/2018
Annette Palumbo Rodgers, 85, of Virginia Beach, VA passed away on Tuesday, May 22 surrounded by her loved ones. She was born in Millburn, NJ in her family home as the youngest of 8 children. She studied at Upsala College in East Orange and worked as a dental technician and as an assistant to an eye surgeon. While in Virginia Beach, she volunteered for over 20 years as a Red Cross dental assistant for the oral surgeons at the Naval Air Station Oceana Dental Clinic.
As the wife of a navy captain, she was tireless in her attention to her children and her documentation of church events through the lens of her camera. She chaired the first Holy Family Community Fair and took great delight in the joy it has brought families over the years.
Grandmama will be remembered for her love of her family, her strong faith in Jesus Christ, her twice baked potatoes and her meatballs. Her welcoming presence, as the matriarch of the Rodgers family, will be greatly missed by all that knew her.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years, Captain Robert Rodgers, her sister Grace Hobelman of Washington DC, her children Greg (Kim), Will (Pam), Grace Ann (Chris) and Scott (Melanie); her grandchildren Courtney, McCall, Rex, Christopher, Katie, Anna, Brenton, Rylan, Carson, Tori and Jake as well as her 9 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved son Andy, her grandson Turner and 6 siblings.
A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, May 25th, at 11:00 am, at the Church of The Holy Family (1279 North Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach). A reception is to be held at the church following the service. Annette's final resting place will be in the columbarium at the church. We are grateful to the staff at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital for their comfort and care during this difficult time. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.
Published in The Virginian Pilot on May 24, 2018