Timothy Webster Rodgers, 72, of Carrboro, North Carolina, died suddenly at home on October 21, 2025, after living with heart disease for many years.
Tim was born on November 1, 1952 in Trieste, Italy, when it was the Free Territory of Trieste, a short-lived independent city-state between Italy and Yugoslavia. His father was serving in the US Army there at the time. He was the son of the late Karl Freeman Rodgers, Jr. & Ruth Jane Flanzer, and the stepson of the late Erik Paul Kahn. He was named after his great-granduncle, Edwin Ambrose Webster, a painter who was known for his love of color and for opening the first modernist art school in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Tim married Barbara Lynn Chomiak on May 10, 1975 in Ashford, Connecticut.
Tim was predeceased by a brother, Tobias Kahn. He is survived by his wife; four brothers, three sisters-in-law, and a brother-in-law, Daniel & Frances Rodgers of Pinehurst, NC, Matthew Kahn of Luxembourg, Paul Kahn of Tavernier, FL, Joshua Pendragon & Margaret Scott of England, and Beverly Chomiak & John Vitti of Storrs, CT; three children and their spouses, Nathaniel & Shannon Rodgers of Kingsland, GA, Jonathan & Jannai Rodgers of Carrboro, and Larisa Rodgers & Dimitri Velednitsky of Carrboro; four grandchildren, Ella Duerr of Hickory, NC, Eliza Kolodnicki of Preston, CT, and Katherine Velednitsky and Finn Velednitsky, both of Carrboro; and eight nieces and nephews.
Tim was a graduate of Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School in Orange, MA. He was employed by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, CT from 1974-1980 as a shipfitter, shipfitter foreman, and trade planner. From 1981 to 1998 he worked for the Groton Public Schools, moving up from a custodian to an MIS Support Analyst. In 1998 he began contracting at Pfizer, Inc. with various companies, holding positions of desktop support, system analyst, and project manager. In 2012 he started at Hewlett-Packard as a project manager and worked there until he retired in 2017.
After retiring Tim discovered his passion for amateur radio, also known as ham radio. The seed for this blossoming interest was planted in childhood when he watched his grandparents use radios to communicate with each other while driving in separate vehicles. His call sign KC1TWR is now a silent key. He was a member of the Southeastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Society (SECARS) and the Southeastern Connecticut Radio Amateur Mobile System (SCRAMS). He participated in many of their club activities, including nets, field days, semi-annual auctions, foxhunting, and on-air events. After moving to North Carolina in 2023 he joined the Durham FM Association and the Orange County Radio Amateurs, Inc. and became just as engaged as he had been in Connecticut.
Tim & Barbara lived in southeastern Connecticut for forty-seven years, raising our children by the sea in Groton. He was my best friend, dearly loved for his sense of humor, unwavering support, helpfulness, generosity, patience, and kindness. Our happiest memories were made on our many trips to Cape Cod and on our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Norway. At home he enjoyed feeding the squirrels walnuts, and had set up an often-visited birdbath with a mini-fountain in it on our deck. He would toss apples out for the deer. We enjoyed birdwatching and exploring different trails in the woods, both in Connecticut and around our new North Carolina home.
Tim especially looked forward to spending time with Nate, Jon and Larisa after they had grown up and moved so far away. Between trips to visit them there were lots of video chats. He never tired of offering fatherly advice as he kept up with what was going on in their lives. His five younger brothers also lived far away, and he stayed close and in touch with them, too. After Toby died, the remaining four started having Zoom sessions, where they shared great conversations and played darts with each other over the distances. He eagerly anticipated these meetings every week.
After the pandemic Tim realized how badly he wanted to spend more time with his grandchildren and was extremely happy, in spite of his failing health, for the two plus years he had a chance to live down the road from them and be such a big part of their lives. Katherine and Finn loved their Grandpa for his endless energy in playing with them and his always showing up with sprinkled donuts for them.
A memorial gathering in Mystic, Connecticut will be planned for next spring.
Memorial donations can be mailed to Durham FM Association, 3605 Dairy Pond Place, Durham, NC 27705 or to Orange County Radio Amateurs, PO Box 294, Carrboro, NC 27510.
I will remember my father as a compass of principle, responsibility, and unwavering work ethic. His example of forward-thinking strength and resourceful, outside-the-box problem solving taught me to face challenges despite fear. I am especially grateful for his early encouragement to embrace the complexities of computers as they redefined the world. I will remember the simple things: his split pea soup, that marathon game of Rocks, and being allowed to sneak a viewing of War of the Worlds when Mom was away.
💙
I am so sad to know that Tim is a silent key. I am so glad to have known him.
David Thackston, K1DCT
Thank you so much, David.
I was a classmate of Tim’s at Mahar and always enjoyed his company. I called him “Buck” and he always called me “Hills” each of us fuming at the other in good-natured fun. We shared a sense of humor that was a little askew from what others thought was funny. I am sorry we didn’t keep up with each other, I moved to L.A. for school and never came back, so drifting apart was inevitable and we don’t realize what we’re losing until it’s already lost. My sincerest condolences to your entire family. I have no doubt Tim was a wonderful father and husband and I know his loss leaves a void that can’t be filled…except with the memories you all share. May he rest in peace and keep feeding the squirrels and walking the trails wherever he is.
Thank you, Brad. Tim mentioned you often to me over the years, and hearing about your nicknames was one of the first things I learned about his past. I smiled about your shared sense of humor being a little askew, especially since his sense of humor was one of the things I loved most about him. He used it well breaking through my all-too-serious nature. I tossed the last of the nuts out for the squirrels yesterday. They’re going to miss him, too.
What a wonderful, kind and fun man , I will miss him. Thank you for letting know, Heaven gained a true angel.
Thank you so much, Jeannette.
I knew both Tim and Barbara in high school 50 plus years ago. Lots of water under the bridge since then. I’m so glad that you were with each other for so long and had such a rich and full life together. Rest in peace, Tim!
If my memory is correct, I think Tim & I knew you separately before he and I ever met each other. High school in Storrs is such a distant fuzzy memory, especially since we spent a good portion of our high school years elsewhere, me in Greece and Tim in Orange, MA. Thank you so much for your kind words, Fred.
Met Tim thru ham radio. He would talk about his family and how he cherished spending time. My condolences to the family for the loss of this great friend to all.
Thank you so much for letting me know.
I’m so sorry, Barbara. What a wonderful man, and such a beautiful life you shared with him. I wish you could have had more. Sending hugs to you and your family.
Thank you so much, Dawn. Your kind words and hugs are comforting and very much appreciated.
Barbara, you’ve written more than just a thoughtful obituary notice, as you’ve also infused parts of your married life together and included tidbits about Tim that make us feel as if we knew him personally. This is a beautiful tribute to your beloved Tim. Your family, friends and fellow bloggers know you are a strong woman and we will all keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
Thank you so much, Linda. I keep thinking of more things I might have included. What a challenge to condense a full life into a short obituary! It’s so comforting to see how well loved he was. 💙
I’m sure you will think of many more attributes and memories in the days ahead Barbara. You wrote a wonderful tribute to Tim. 💙
Tim’s brother Dan remembers:
When Tim and I were about 8 and 9 years old we were playing in the woods near our house. We found an intact beer bottle. We debated what we would do with our prize, and being about 8 and 9 years old we decided to smash it against a big rock. Tim, being the older one, had the honor but because he was always looking out for me he had me stand well back so that none of the flying glass shards would hit me. Me, being the younger one, wanted a really good look so I leaned way in to watch the glass explosion. As Tim, staring intently at the target rock, drew the bottle back for the big event… he smashed it into my forehead. I’m a little fuzzy on the events that transpired immediately following the incident but I still carry a small scar on my forehead that reminds me in a funny way that despite my careless ways, Tim always wanted the best for me. And for the next 60 or so years I never had a reason to doubt that.
Tim’s niece Erica remembers:
Tim was a wonderful and ever-present uncle, despite the large distance that was usually between us. A perfect blend: part stickler, part rascal, all heart. I was lucky enough to play darts via video chat with him, my dad, and another of their brothers, Uncle Josh, weekly for the past few years. These sessions were easy going and never less than a joy, due in large part to Uncle Tim’s wit, warmth, and unflappability. He and I loved to silently take long, slow sips from our silly coffee mugs to make sure the other could fully appreciate the dad jokes or ham radio puns on them. Uncle Tim always gave the best bear hugs that a girl could ask for and it was a privilege to grow up with him as my honorary second dad.
Jenn, the wife of Tim’s nephew David, remembers:
David and I had our New Year’s wedding in 2022. Unfortunately, my father had passed away in 2009, so there were many instances where I wished my dad were there and I remember wishing with all my might that he was able to be there in some way. Throughout the wedding weekend, it was like answered prayers to me, where men on both sides of our family would unknowingly step in in the ways I had wished for. Uncle Tim was one of those men. He dove into the activities of setting up and breaking down the wedding with jokes, enthusiasm, and a level of detail needed to ensure nothing broke or got lost…many things I know my Dad would have done as well. Without even asking or him realizing, he had stepped into one of the few dad roles that I had wished my dad would have been there for and I was so incredibly grateful to him for being a small piece of comfort to me during such a special time. I will always cherish my memory of him in those moments with a grateful and full heart. He will be dearly missed and I am so glad to have known him for the time I did.
Dear Barbara, I am so very sorry to hear of your beloved Tim’s passing. It has been a pleasure learning about him through your many beach and forest adventures highlighted here, and the obituary was beautiful. I will hold you in my heart, dear one, during this painful and tender time.
Thank you so much, Jet. Your kind words are comforting and very much appreciated. It’s encouraging to know that you and others have known him through my blog and that he will be remembered. Knowing you are thinking of me as I find my way now means a great deal.