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Rock Island County mourns longtime Boy Scout volunteer Ben Rogers, first death due to COVID-19

The 67-year-old Moline native died after a month-long battle with the coronavirus

ILLINOIS CITY, Illinois — Rock Island County is mourning the loss of 67-year-old Moline native Ben Rogers, who on Tuesday died after a month-long battle with COVID-19. He is the first reported person to die of the coronavirus in the county. 

"It was just a shock when we found out that it was the COVID-19 virus," said Illowa Council Boy Scouts CEO Jeff Doty. "You know he was one of the first of the Quad Cities. And so all of us had this false sense of security that it hadn’t gotten here, and then all of a sudden, of all of the people, our most prominent volunteer."

 Rogers was known as a friend, a mentor and a legendary cook. A 100-year-old chuck wagon at the Loud Thunder Scout Camp was his baby.

"He was the king of the kitchen, he was our grub master on the chuck wagon. He was a larger than life volunteer," Doty said.

The outbreak has affected funeral plans. A visitation will take place Thursday at Rafferty Funeral Home in Moline from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Family and friends are encouraged to celebrate Ben's life by driving by the front of the funeeral home where Ben's family will be present. 

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