DeWayne D. Rodgers saved Pedro Zuniga and his four children from burning, Cumming, Georgia, August 26, 2006. Zuniga, 32, and his two sons and two daughters were asleep in their one-story frame house after fire broke out at night in the attached carport and spread to the house. Rodgers, 48, marble and granite craftsman, lived next door and discovered the fire. He ran to the scene and gained entry to the house through a sliding glass door in the living room. Finding Zuniga and two of the children there, Rodgers ran to the opposite end of the house to look for others. On his return to the living room, Rodgers, who was barefoot and shirtless, had to pass through the area in which flames from the carport were impinging. As Zuniga’s sons fled the house through a door and a window in the living room, Rodgers went to the adjoining bedroom, where he found Zuniga’s older daughter. He opened a window in that room and crawled through it, after which Zuniga handed him his daughters. Zuniga then escaped through the window, and he and Rodgers ran from the house with the girls. Firefighters arrived shortly and extinguished the blaze, but the house was destroyed. Neither Zuniga nor any of his children was burned, but Rodgers sustained burns to his torso, an arm, and a toe, requiring hospital treatment. He recovered.
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Obituary
DeWayne Dowell Rodgers, 67, of Cumming, Georgia, passed away May 12, 2025, following complications from chemotherapy and lung scarring from Covid-19. He slipped away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. Born on September 29, 1957, in Hammond, Indiana, DeWayne was a master craftsman in marble and granite, known for his skill in both production and repair.
Throughout his life, DeWayne found joy in his family, fishing, drawing, and tinkering with small engines. His love for God guided him, and he shared that faith wholeheartedly with family and friends. Those who knew him will always remember his humor, flirtatious charm, and unwavering loyalty-traits that made him a cherished presence in so many lives. His highest achievement, about which he was truly humble, was earning the Carnegie Hero Fund Medal for bravery, awarded for rescuing a family from their burning home.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 30 years, Barbie Rodgers, and his beloved children, Soren and Megan Rodgers. His memory lives on through his brothers, Clifford Howell Rodgers and Paul Rodgers, and his sisters, Peggy Foster (Jim) and Dawn O’Brien (Ed). He was also dearly loved by his brothers-in-law: Drew Olliff (Sheryl), Chris Hughes, Michael Hughes (Midori), Jeff Hughes (Laura), and Tim Hughes (Kate), along with his many nieces and nephews-Jennifer, Hilary, Wade, Owen, Hayden, Carly, Becca, Quinten, Dalton, Allie (Chris), Bryce, Aska (David), Taiki, Anna Claire (Walker), Max, Ian, Quinn, Jackson, Ava, and Michael-who will forever cherish his memory and legacy.
DeWayne now joins his parents, Dan and Dotty Rodgers; his in-laws, John and Linn Hughes; his grandmother, Ollie Rodgers; his uncle Walter Rodgers; his brother-in-law, Rob Hughes; his sister-in-law, Kelly Hughes; his nephew, Clayton Rodgers; and his niece, Ashlyn Olliff, in eternal peace.
Though deeply missed, DeWayne will always be remembered for the laughter he created and the love he shared, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, humor, and devotion that will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.