Lurlene was born and raised in Arkansas, where most of her childhood was spent living in Hope, with parents J.W. and Chloie White Tittle. Lurlene graduated from Hope High School, where she attended many Class of 1955 reunions.  After graduating, she earned her Registered Nursing license from Arkansas Baptist School of Nursing, and married another Hope resident, Richard Duffie.  Moving to Houston Texas, they soon started a family, with sons Kyle and Matt.  A career opportunity brought them to New Orleans, where they also welcomed a daughter, Karen.  Many years were spent in the area, eventually settling in Slidell.  Lurlene’s nursing career included working in family practice and in a teaching capacity in the 1990's.  She enjoyed educating medical assistants, who to this day are thriving in their own medical careers in Slidell.  Later remarried, Lurlene and her husband Robert Rodgers dedicated their retirement years volunteering at Slidell Memorial Hospital, making many friendships there.  We are sure she would want us to say how much she cherished her time there, and how meaningful those memories were. 

The family would like to thank the Slidell staff and Doctors Michael Casey, Cody Hill, and Daniel Bourgeois, as well as Ft. Worth, Texas Vitas Hospice.  We would also like to thank her dear friends Wareene Holliday, Mary Gulledge, and Mike Stassi, for their caring and concern for her these recent years.  To her best friend in Hope, Arkansas, Vera Johnson--a friendship for the ages.  God bless you. 

Lurlene is preceded in death by son Kyle Duffie, husband Robert Rodgers, and brother Jack White.  She is survived by son John Duffie and daughter-in-law Kim of Calico Rock, Arkansas, daughter Karen Johnson, son-in-law Kris, and grandchildren Elizabeth, Meredith, and Nicholas Johnson of Trophy Club, Texas, sister Shirley Parker of Bossier City, Louisiana, sister-in-law Coralie White of West Monroe, Louisiana, and numerous nieces and nephews.

  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Slidell Memorial Hospital, Alzeimer’s.org, or The American Lung Association.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 1, 2021 at 1:00pm in the Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Home Chapel, under the direction of Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Home. 

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