Shirley Vivan Rogers

Shirley Vivian (Harness) Rogers passed away on August 20, 2026 in Olathe, Kansas. She was born in

Olathe, Kansas on March 24, 1928. Shirley was 98 years old.

Family

Shirley survived her parents Orville Weston Harness and Fern Noland

(Freeman) Harness Tapscott. She also survived her brother Orville William

“Bill” Harness who was four years younger and her husband George Leon

Rogers. Shirley had one child, Richard Neil Rogers, born in Olathe, Kansas

who survived her.

Although not related, Shirley also loved De’Markcus Howell, who was born

in Kansas City, Kansas and Kimia Ebrahimzadeh, who was born in Shiraz,

Iran. When Shirley was ninety five years old, she accepted De’Markcus and

Kimia into her life as if they were her grandchildren. Shirley was always

excited to find out about upcoming events in their lives and their many

accomplishments.

Career and Military Service

Shirley lived all of her adult life in Johnson County, Kansas with the

exception of when the family lived in Glenview, Illinois for ten months in

1957.Shirley graduated from St. John High School, located in Olathe,

Kansas in 1945. During “Senior Week” in high school, Shirley started

working for the United States Navy, and at the same time, the United

States Department of Defense as a typist at Olathe Naval Air Station. After

a few short years of working for the United States Navy and the United

States Department of Defense, Shirley’s work took on more meaningful

tasks. She received “Classified” status and began “Logistics - Related -

Work” maintaining inventory levels of items that were of crucial military

importance.

Olathe Naval Air Station was one of three Basic Navy Flight Training Centers for the United States Navy. One of the items that Shirley managed inventory and logistics for was aviation fuel. This item was critical in the training of Navy Pilots. Even though Shirley was a “Civilian” employee, she received “Classifi ed Information” directly from the Pentagon. These communications directly affected the priorities in her work and her life outside of work. Some of this “Classifi ed Information” was related to upcoming changes in training and the upcoming activity related to the consumption of aviation fuel.

United States Senator John McCain completed his Basic Navy Flight Training at Olathe Naval Air Station while Shirley was responsible for the logistics of aviation fuel. United States Senator John Glenn the fi rst American Astronaut to orbit Earth also completed Basic Navy Flight Training at Olathe Naval Air Station, most likely while Shirley was responsible for the logistics of aviation fuel. Thousands of other Navy Pilots received their Basic Navy Flight Training while Shirley was responsible for the logistics of aviation fuel.

Shirley worked at the Olathe Naval Air Station until it was decommissioned. She then worked two years for the Olathe School District before returning as a “Civilian” employee with the United States Marine Corps. Years later after having worked for the United States Department of Defense for thirty years she retired from public service work.

Childhood and Music

When Shirley was a child, her father was a petroleum engineer. Her father’s work took the family to many oil fi eld communities in Kansas and Illinois. While living in Illinois and attending Junior High, she was a third-generation Church Instrumentalist and played the piano in the Church Orchestra.

Travel and Interests

Every year, Shirley, her husband George L. Rogers and son Richard would go on vacation. Their travels took them from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacifi c Ocean and from parts of Canada to the Mexico border. Shirley enjoyed reading, playing card games, working on crossword puzzles, solving sudoku puzzles and visiting with friends and relatives.

Final Remembrance

After a few short days of struggling with health issues, Shirley passed to spend eternity with God