Barbara Bongard Rogers

Barbara Bongard Rogers June 3, 1929 – November 23, 2020 Barbara Bongard Rogers, daughter of the American Southwest, wife of her beloved “Paddington Bear” for more than fifty years and the mother of two sons, passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of Monday, November 23, 2020. Barbara was ninety-one years old and had a vibrant and full life that took her across the breadth of the United States and overseas on a variety of adventures. She took a deep interest in the world around her and was a passionate supporter of education, the League of Women Voters and Meals on Wheels as well as many other charities and nonprofit organizations. Barbara also had a tremendous interest in art and for many years led tours at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-seven years, John Rogers, who passed away in 2015, her father, Victor Bongard, her mother, Marguerite Bongard, her sisters, Phyllis Pfranger and Victoria Dobson and her brother, Victor Bongard. She is survived by her son, Peter Rogers and his wife, Ellen of Providence, Rhode Island, her son, Timothy and his wife, Debra of Wilson, North Carolina, and her three grandchildren, Zachary and his wife, Amber, and Grace and Abbey. Barbara was born in Arizona on June 3, 929, and grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. She graduated from the University of New Mexico and worked as a teacher and librarian before marrying John Rogers in 1957. They lived in Houston, Texas, until 1975 when the family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She lived in the Chapel Hill/Durham area until 2017 when she moved to Wilson. The family will be hosting a private service for Barbara and at a future date her ashes will be scattered in the memorial garden at The Eno River Unitarian Universalist Church in Durham where John is also memorialized. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation in her honor to a charity of your choosing. Condolences directed to Joyner’s Funeral Home and Crematory at www.joyners.net.