In Memory of Carrie: Aid for Buddy and the kids

Our community is heartbroken after the tragic death of Carrie Rodgers last week. Cancer took Carrie from us at age 45, robbed us of her magnetic personality, her sharp wit, and her one-in-a-million smile.

Her husband Buddy, and their children Cody (15), Daniel (9) and Johanna (6), have lost the amazing woman at the center of their lives.

This fundraiser is to support Buddy and the kids in their time of grief, and to help them face a new chapter in their lives. Of course, nothing can replace Carrie. But, money can help cushion the blow of funeral expenses and Carrie's lost income. We can also remind Buddy and the kids, after they have lost so much, that the world doesn't just take and take-- sometimes it gives back too.

As a friend, I have seen the challenges Buddy and his family have faced over years during Carrie's decline. I know this will be money well spent. 

Carrie Rodgers (née Kramer) grew up in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and served in the Air Force for almost 10 years. While stationed in South Korea, she fell in love with Buddy Rodgers, an Alabamian artist in uniform, a man who radiates more warmth and goodwill than a golden retriever. After the Air Force, Carrie was an editor and English professor, teaching in Georgia and at the University of Maryland. Their family ultimately settled in Lancaster county, where Buddy paints and illustrates military manuals for the US government. Additional details are in her obituary.

All funds will be used to memorialize Carrie and to help Buddy raise their three wonderful children.