Virginia Luscombe Rogers

Virginia Luscombe Rogers “Ginger” departed this life on January 24th, 2025, surrounded by her three children, at Summa Hospital in Akron, Ohio. 

Ginger was born on May 13th, 1928, in Grand Junction, Colorado to Martha Ruth (nee Logan) and Carl Blackwell Luscombe. The family moved to Ohio when Ginger was young, living first in Sandusky and then in Vermilion, but many extended family holidays took place in Carthage, Missouri, where Ginger’s parents had grown up and are buried. When it came time for college, Ginger boarded the train for Sweet Briar College, Virginia, where she majored in physics and mathematics, before returning to Ohio State University to earn her master’s degree in education. While working on her master’s, she joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, which led to lifelong friendships and connections—even as recently as October 2024, when she was involved in an impromptu Kappa reunion in a Florida hotel lobby, replete with songs and high kicks (of which there is a recording). 

 Although she was on the vanguard of computer technology, working for IBM in the 1950s, her true passions were architectural preservation and the decorative arts. To that end, while her young family lived in Akron in the early 1960s, there were many visits to Hudson and Hale Homestead to admire and study the architecture of the Western Reserve. 

 In 1970, the family moved to Hudson, where Ginger quickly immersed herself in the village’s historic preservation, becoming an active and dedicated member of the Hudson Heritage Association. She served on the board of the Association for multiple terms, including as president, all the while continuing to hone her skills and knowledge by taking postgraduate courses at Hiram College and Kent State University. Ginger also served on Hudson’s Architectural and Historic Board of Review, a position she held for 14 years. In 1984 she, along with her friend and colleague, Don Reisig, received the Architectural Heritage Award from Summit County Historical Society and in 2019 Ginger was the first recipient of HHA’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Hudson. 

Ginger was a terrific hostess, who loved to throw beautiful parties, large and small. Well known for her keen eye for timeless design and beautifully cut garments, she also turned her talents to flower arranging and served for many years in that capacity as a devoted volunteer flower arranger at Stan Hywet Hall in Akron. She was also an all-around athlete, equally enjoying skiing (both water and snow), tennis, golf, lacrosse, archery, sailing, and kayaking (which she last did on Lake Huron in 2023). Her favorite sport, however, was horseback riding. From her earliest days until she was well into her 70s, there were always horses in her life. In a stroke of great namesake serendipity, she was also a wonderful dancer, just like the ‘other Ginger Rogers.’ 

Ginger was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Martha L. Horsburgh, as well as her former husband, Justin Towner Rogers, Junior. 

Ginger is survived by her two daughters, Sarah Luscombe Rogers (Michael) of Edgewater, Maryland and Anne Larkin Rogers of Hudson, Ohio and son, Justin Towner Rogers III of Washington, D.C., as well as her grandson, Angus Warren of New Haven, Connecticut. She also leaves behind her dear friend and steadfast caregiver, Phyllis Winning, as well as many other devoted and cherished friends. 

Ginger attended Christ Church Episcopal in Hudson for over 50 years. 

A Memorial Service will be held on SATURDAY, May 17th, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Christ Church Episcopal, 21 Aurora St., Hudson, Ohio, with a reception to follow at the church. 

Services in care of the Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory, 85 N. Miller Road Akron, OH 44333 (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)