Rogers, Jr., William A. "Bill"
April 28, 1934 – December 23, 2025
William A. Rogers, Jr., passed away peacefully at home in Brunswick, Maine, on December 23, 2025, surrounded in love by his devoted wife and three adoring children. Bill was a few months shy of his 92nd birthday - and few men have traveled through their decades of life with such warmth and integrity, and a remarkable ability to leave enduring, positive impressions. He was a special gentleman and is profoundly missed.
Bill was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, the youngest of four siblings to William A. and Elizabeth Rogers, Sr., where he graduated from Oakwood High School in 1952. He attended Harvard College and graduated cum laude in 1956 ("Hard as Nails, Tough as Bricks, Harvard Class of '56"). Bill continued on to Harvard Law School, receiving his L.L.B. in 1959. Two days after his final law school class, having enlisted in the Army, he traveled to Fort Dix, New Jersey, spending six months in basic training. He returned to Dayton in 1960 to begin the practice of law at the firm Iddings, Jeffrey & Donnelly. Bill focused his representation on medical groups and small business enterprises, handling labor negotiations and all manner of commercial matters. He expanded the firm's estate and trust planning practice and began the firm's pension and profit-sharing planning practice. Stanley Greenberg joined the firm in 1967 becoming Bill's close friend and colleague. Ultimately the firm took Bill and Stan's names, becoming Rogers & Greenberg, L.L.P., still a prominent law firm today. Bill was a highly esteemed member of the Dayton legal community, serving as the President of the Dayton Bar Association, and was a member of the Ohio bar for over 65 years.
Bill's greatest good fortune came in 1955 during his junior year at Harvard. His roommate set him up on a blind date to attend a Harvard football game, and in this fashion, he met Mary Earl Pruden, a freshman at nearby Wellesley College. The two fell quickly and deeply in love, getting married in 1958 in South Orange, New Jersey. Bill and Mary Earl remained fully devoted to each other and largely inseparable for 70 years. They moved to Dayton where they started a family and raised three children.
A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Bill grew up reading the works of Ernest Thompson Seton and developed a special interest in the north woods of Michigan. For many summers, he brought his family to Brevort Lake in the Upper Peninsula to gather with siblings and cousins, where camping, hiking, and canoeing became treasured traditions. His enthusiasm instilled a passion for the outdoors in his children. Later, Bill and Mary Earl's canoeing and camping adventures took them further north to the upper reaches of Ontario. In 1981, with a certain amount of both lunacy and prescience, they purchased a rustic hunting cabin on Etta Lake, the only structure on this remote lake, which was more regularly inhabited by asylums of loons, their favorite bird. Their wilderness palace had no electricity, no running water, and no plumbing. The only access was by canoe in the summer (with a portage) or by snowshoe in the winter. They spent a month at Etta in the summer and up to a week in winter (with only a wood stove for heat) until the access became more difficult. This "Canadian Riviera" was their beloved retreat for nearly three decades.
Bill's love of travel began early. At age 17, he and two high school friends embarked on a six-week, 10,000-mile camping trip across the American West in a gigantic 1940 Pontiac filled to the brim with their worldly possessions. The journey sparked a lifelong appetite to explore. When he wasn't in the north woods, he and Mary Earl began their quest for the perfect combination of Bahamian white sand and turquoise water, earning him the affectionate nickname "Bahama Bill." They spent years island hopping, eventually finding their personal paradise at Cape Santa Maria on Long Island in the Bahamas, returning for more than 25 years. Three miles of white talcum beach, a few good books, and a bottle of Canadian Club - they were in heaven.
As their three children settled across the country - to Colorado, Cape Cod, and Seattle - travel became an even greater priority. Together or with family and friends, Bill and Mary Earl explored Europe and beyond, drawn by Bill's insatiable love of history, art, architecture, food (but no garlic), and wine.
In 1997, he and Mary Earl moved from Dayton to a home perched above the Kennebec River near Merrymeeting Bay in Bath, Maine. Bill continued to practice law and commute to Dayton for his work and to enjoy time with old friends, until his gradual retirement at the age of 80. Life in Maine brought new joys - kayaking the Kennebec from his dock, boating in the summer and fall, and connections with two organizations to which he became fully dedicated. Bill was active with the Bowdoin International Music Festival, serving as both member and president of the Board of Trustees, hosting and sponsoring various musicians as well as enjoying the eight full weeks of classical music performances every summer. He was similarly devoted to and served on the Board of Directors for the Maine Maritime Museum, maintaining an emeritus position and staying involved with all its programs and events.
Before leaving Ohio, Bill spent countless hours in civic service, including roles with the Dayton Law Library Association, Metropolitan Bar Associations of Ohio, Harvard Club of Dayton, and Harvard Law School Association of Ohio. He served on the Board of Directors of the Harvard Alumni Association and Board of Trustees of the Dayton Lawyers Club. He was a member and Life Fellow of the Ohio Bar Foundation and American Bar Foundation, a Chairman and Life Member of the Board of Advisors of the Salvation Army, and a Chairman of the Oakwood Board of Zoning Appeals.
Bill's easy smile, warm presence, sharp humor, and ready deprecating wit endeared him to all whom he encountered and made him countless friends, many lifelong. Bill was that rare gentleman: erudite, compassionate, wise, understanding, gentle, and kind. He was always our humble hero, quick to shed a tear when moved by a memory or family milestone. He remained an advisor and confidant to his three children throughout his life, providing insight and guidance through all of life's many challenges. His family and friends in Dayton, Maine, and beyond cherished his thoughtful conversations, his personal grace, his hospitality, and his unwavering loyalty to Ohio sports teams.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife Mary Earl and their three children and spouses, William A. Rogers, III (Cathy) in Boulder, Colorado, Elizabeth Rogers Olsen (Tom) in East Dennis, Massachusetts, and Catherine L. Rogers (Tom) in Seattle, Washington. Bill is also survived by five grandchildren, Nathaniel, Catherine, William, Sydney, and Harry, as well as five great grandchildren, Owen, Edmund, Clara, Charlotte, and Dean. In addition, Bill is survived by an older sister and her husband and eight beloved nieces and nephews. His immense love for his extended family, his gift for listening, his steady counsel, and his gentle humor will be deeply missed.
A private celebration of his life will be held in Bath, Maine. Contributions in Bill's honor may be made to the Maine Maritime Museum or the Bowdoin International Music Festival.
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