![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/packages/flash/multimedia/ICONS/transparent.png)
Joseph W. Rogers in his office at Waffle House headquarters in Norcross, Ga.,
Ric Feld/Associated Press; thumbnail, Jim Stratford/Bloomberg, via Getty Images, 2006
Joseph W. Rogers
Died on March 3, 2017 at age 97
Mr. Rogers was a founder of Waffle House, the restaurant chain that achieved a kind of cultural renown with its no-frills menu, attentive service and round-the-clock hours.
Notable Deaths 2017
Remembering Mary Tyler Moore, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lewis, David Rockefeller, Trisha Brown, Glen Campbell, Dick Gregory, Edith Windsor, Sam Shepard, Tom Petty and many others who died this year.