Jerilyn Marie Rogers

Jerilyn “Jeri” Rogers was given her wings on July 3, 2025 at the age of 62. Born in Albany, New York, she was the beloved daughter of Patricia and James Rogers. As the daughter of an Army serviceman, Jeri spent her childhood moving from base to base, collecting treasured memories along the way. One of her most favorite places was Bad Kreuznach, Germany, where she and her family delighted in the town’s medieval charm and spend free time participating in volksmarches and local traditions.

A bright and driven student, Jeri pursued education with passion and excellence, receiving many accolades and awards over the years. She earned undergraduate degrees in Political Science from St Petersburg Junior College and University of Florida. She then continued her studies at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she excelled and passed the Florida Bar on her first attempt. After practicing law, her dedication to education led her back to UF to work on a PhD in Higher Education.

Jeri spent decades shaping young minds in higher education, but she found her greatest joy later in life as a high school history teacher and club advisor. During this time, she also fulfilled a dream by finding ten acres that she would affectionately call “Wing and a Prayer”. There, surrounded by nature, Jeri found her sanctuary. She built barns, planted gardens, raised goats and chickens, and nurtured life with her own hands. She found true peace among the animals she loved and the land she cultivated.

Only about seven months before her passing, Jeri was diagnosed with stage four neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. She met the diagnosis with unshakable courage, enduring countless rounds of chemotherapy and radiation with grace and strength. Even as the disease took her glorious mane of hair and, ultimately, her life, it never touched her spirit. Jeri was a warrior to the very end, embodying resilience, dignity, and an unwavering love for life. She will always be remembered for her strength and tenacity of life.

She leaves behind a legacy rooted in love, learning, and the natural world. Her sons, Jared Rogers and Brendan Nichols - the heart of her life - will carry forward her spirit through their own love of animals and the stories she so dearly passed on. Her memory will live on in every garden bloom, every sunrise on her land, and in the hearts of all who were lucky enough to know her.

Jeri is survived by her sons, Jared and Brendan; her father, James Rogers; her sister Beth Poole (Chris); brothers Mark Rogers, Michael Rogers (Catrina), and Kevin Rogers; her separated husband, Andrew Nichols; and many adoring nieces and nephews, and her life-long friend, Laura Zehe. She was preceded in death by her cherished mother, Patricia Rogers, her dear sister-in-law Stacy, and her grandparents who held special places in her heart,

Jeri lived fully, loved deeply, and left the world better than she found it. She has found her wings—and now she soars.