Obituary of Frances Yates

YATES – Frances, of Huntington, NY, on February 28,2025, at the age of 68.  Beloved wife of Kevin Rodgers.  Cherished step-mother of Kevin Jr (Jennifer), Sarah, Joshua and Bethany (Thaeo).  Cherished Grandma to Alexys, Taylor, Caleb, Wyatt, Silas, Olcon-Osheen, Julian, Jessica and Killian.  Loved sister of Michael (deceased), Ann and Vincent.  Adored Aunt of Isaac, Jacqueline, Eric, Darren, Dustin and Dillon. Treasured sister-in-law, aunt and great-aunt to a large family with members in many states.

Frances was born in Fort Riley Kansas on January 13, 1957 and lived in many different places as she grew up - with her dad originally in the Army and then working in various capacities for the State Department.  Among other places she spent a few years in what is now Zambia when it was still called Northern Rhodesia.

She was a senior at Monterey High School just outside of Los Angeles and looking forward to a cool college career at one of the local universities when she received a letter notifying her The United States Merchant Marine Academy was accepting application from women for the first time.  Her response was to throw the letter in the garbage – which her father promptly retrieved.

So in July of 1974 Frances entered the gates of the academy as one of 15 first-ever female cadet/midshipmen and four years later was one of 8 that were members of the first class of women to graduate. She and her classmates were the “great experiment” being watched by leaders at the other academies – With them only following suit a full two years after Kings Point.

As a graduate she used her newly-minted license as a Third Mate on oil tankers with Texaco, and worked in the oil industry ashore with many different jobs, finally retiring from Hess as chartering manager for oil and chemical tankers throughout the globe.

Along with her civilian career, Frances also took her military obligation seriously, joining a local reserve unit, and working her way up through multiple promotions – becoming a trail-blazer yet-again as the first female academy graduate to achieve the rank of 0-6 (Captain in the Navy / Colonel in the Army).

But she also had an entire world beyond military and civilian careers. In addition to the family she was born into, she married into a large family in June of 1989 creating a personal life with her husband Kevin Rodgers and his four children – now up to nine grandchildren.  Frances’s personal world has grown to an almost uncountable number of friends and family and neighbors who all both love and respect her.  One small measure might be the fact that every Christmas she would send over 160 cards to various friends and family.

Frances was always proud to say that she was from Kansas, just like Dorothy Gale, so it is fitting to end with this quote from the end of the movie:

“A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others”

Reposing Thursday 2-4pm and 7-9pm at MA Connell Funeral Home, 934 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746.  Funeral Mass Friday at 9:45am at St. Patrick’s Church, 400 Main Street, Huntington, NY with burial immediately following at Calverton National Cemetery.

Anyone so inclined may send a donation to Memorial Sloan-Kettering in Lieu of flowers.

400 Main