Bruce "Bud" Rogers

Bruce "Bud" Rogers
August 14, 1929 - November 20, 2018
For decades, Bruce "Bud" Rogers spent weekends in the picture-perfect, meticulously cared for garden of his West Akron home. Clad in starched canvas work clothes dating to his time in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and sporting tousled hair that stood in contrast to his usual groomed and tidy appearance, Bud could be found carefully pruning a towering weeping willow, deadheading daffodils, and cultivating beech trees, among other horticultural pursuits. He applied the same precision, resourcefulness, and efficiency that he brought to gardening in other areas of his life, including in his role as President of BW Rogers Company, a successful distributor of fluid power products founded by his father. He assumed leadership of a struggling company in 1973. Recognizing the exciting opportunities for improvement before him, Bud assembled a team to fulfill his vision for success based on the honesty and operational rigor that were his core values. The success that followed was a tribute to his vision, his leadership and the skills of the team that he built.
The pragmatism that underlie Bud's business prowess was complemented at home by Susie, his wife of 65 years, whose effervescent spirit enriched their family life. Together, Bud and Susie raised three sons. The couple participated in an exuberant social life, cultivating and maintaining lifelong friendships, including with classmates from Bud's primary school, King Elementary. Bud relished time with family and friends and was vitally engaged in the athletic pursuits of his sons and granddaughtera�"he faithfully attended their track meets and soccer games from childhood through adolescence.
Bud was a committed volunteer and advocate for charities, community organizations, and academic institutions in Akron and Northeast Ohio, including the Boys and Girls Club, Keep Akron Beautiful, Rotary Club, United Way, Western Reserve Academy (his alma mater, class of 1947), and the University of Akron. He was recognized with the Akron Community Foundation's Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award, the Boys and Girls Club's President's Volunteer Service Award, and the American Red Cross' H. Peter Burg Community Leadership Award, among many other honors for his service to the community.
Bud earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Akron in 1956, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Social Fraternity. He was a consummate grammarian, firmly committed to inculcating proper language usage in his granddaughters, who may or may not still slip into the misuse of "take" and "bring." Bud enjoyed fly fishing; music ranging from from big band to Edith Piaf and from boogie-woogie to classical; and reading histories as well as the writings of Tom Clancy and Robert Louis Stevenson. His office in downtown Akron was decorated with poster reproductions of Impressionist and American realist paintings collected from the museums he and Susie visited on their travels together. Bud maintained a strict work schedule into his 80s, frequently breaking for lunch at the Diamond Deli, where he enjoyed socializing with the staff and reading and clipping news stories from the Wall Street Journal.
Bud was preceded in death by his parents, Bruce and Julie Rogers, as well as his sister, Rody, and brother, George. He is survived by his wife, Susie, and sons, Rick (Alita) of Akron, Ohio; Bruce of Columbus, Ohio; and Stephen (Heidi Henderson) of Wakefield, Rhode Island. Bud's grandchildren are Sarah Rogers Morris (Corbin), Madeline Stull (Adam), Kezia, and Altie. His great grandchildren are Milo and Maxine Morris.
Calling hours will be held at the home of Richard and Alita Rogers (538 Woodside Drive, Akron, OH) on Friday, November 23 from 4-6 pm and Saturday, November 24 from 2-4 pm. A memorial service will be held in the spring. Details to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve, Rotary Club of Akron, University of Akron, or Western Reserve Academy. (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)