John C Rogers

John C. Rogers of Oxford CT and Punta Gorda FL passed away at his Oxford home on September 6, 2019 with his wife and family by his side.

John was the son of the late Augusta (Burchfield) Rogers and Forest E. Rogers.  He is survived by his loving and cherished wife, the former first selectman of Oxford, Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers.

Born in Knoxville TN and raised in Port Lavaca TX, John graduated from Bosse High School in Evansville Indiana and the University of Houston with a Marketing Degree in 1962.

He proudly served in the US Army stationed in Grunstadt Germany with the 1st Artillery, 5th Missile R Company C (Specialist 4 Class) from 1962 to 1964.  He often joked about how his father, who headed the recruitment board, picked his name out on the list.  In fact John volunteered on his own to serve as an enlisted soldier during the Vietnam War and surprised his father with the news.

John went on to work for General Electric in the Home Service Center, Syracuse NY, before transferring to Bridgeport, CT to Wire & Cable he advanced to Supervisor of NBC Division Accounts Payable; Financial Planning Center and Accounts Payable Department in Shelton, CT where he retired in 2000.  He was also a Certified Financial Planner for Amex in the eighties.

Besides his wife of 30 years he is survived by his children, Tina (Glenn) Herman of Woodbury, John (Colleen) of Guilford, Garrett (Karen) of Hamden, stepchildren, Jeffrey (fiancé Cindy) of Woodbury, Eric (Kimberly) of Panama City Beach FL and Jill Drayton of Oxford.  He was predeceased by his son Michael.

John leaves ten grandchildren—Taylor and Madison Drayton; John, Eleanor, and Ewan Oakes-Rogers; Jey, Kellen and Brady Herman; Stephanie and Magdalena Rogers.  He leaves his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Barbara and Edward Dalterio and Kristina and Gerald Trevits, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.  He was predeceased by his late wife Kathleen Rogers and his sisters Billie Ray Slotnick and Julianne Dugat.

Known for his sense of humor and lightheartedness, John seldom had a harsh word to say.  John was always a humble man and when asked for his opinion or advice, he would simply say, “I know very little”.  He loved putting people at ease and brought joy to many throughout his life with a warm smile or a huge bear hug.  He enjoyed spending fun times with family and dear friends in CT and FL.  “Big John” especially loved the Thanksgiving holidays, traveling and spending winters in Florida with Mary Ann, fishing in Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico, watching the UConn basketball teams and rooting for the Dallas Cowboys in good seasons and not so good seasons.  John never missed watching a Superbowl game since its inception.

John was a lifetime member of the Waterbury Deep Sea Fishing Club, a member of St Thomas the Apostle Church, Oxford Senior Center, Oxford Land Trust, Oxford Historical Society, a past Weebeloe Boy Scout leader and Pop Warner Football Coach, Seymour/Oxford league.  He formerly volunteered his time as a tax preparer and had served on some local town boards/commissions in Oxford.  And John loved music of all types; he played the trumpet in high school, danced up a storm and sang in the choir at the Great Hill United Methodist Church for a time.

John relied on his devoted wife, Mary Ann, to guide him through his recent illnesses over the last several years and often expressed his gratitude to all who shared both the challenging and the enjoyable times.  Besides his wife, he was lovingly cared for by Taylor, Jill and Madison as well as his caring aides and nurses especially Jennifer and Elaine.  He accepted living with Parkinson’s Disease and Autonomic Neuropathy with grace and dignity setting an example of courage and will miss and be missed by all who shared in his life.

Calling hours will be held Thursday September 12, 2019 from 10:00-12:30, with a funeral service at 1:00P.M. at Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, located 235 Main Street North Southbury, CT. A graveside service with military honors will follow at Southford Cemetery located in Oxford, CT. To leave an online condolence please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com.

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