Elbert Eugene Rogers, Jr.

Elbert Eugene Rogers, Jr., 79, died peacefully on March 22, 2022 at Woodland Pond at New Paltz, NY where he had lived since having had a stroke in 2018. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina to the late Elbert E. Rogers, Sr. And Harriett Sawyer Rogers, and was brother to the late James Paul Rogers. Elbert is survived by his son Kenneth Rogers, his former wife Susan Rogers, his grandson Nicholas Maurer Joyce, his sisters-in-law Lynne Rogers and Elizabeth Murray, dear friend James Sullivan, and a host of loving friends.

Elbert attended C.A. Johnson High School in Columbia, South Carolina and held a BA from Boston University. He had a distinguished 30-year career at IBM working in corporate communications and advertising that took him Boston, Dallas, New Jersey, Paris, and New York.

A highly creative person of many talents, Elbert was committed to the arts, always immersed in film, music, theater, literature, and poetry; he was eager to share his enthusiasm with friends and family. A young cinephile, he spent much of his boyhood immersed in the movies and practicing the art of performative storytelling. At age 15 he made his own film version of Cecil B. DeMillle’s epic “The Ten Commandments” starring his six-year old brother. At 18 Elbert wrote a coming-of-age novel, “A Dragon Lives Forever.” He was a gifted pianist and composer. A trio of his compositions (including his favorite, “Going for the Gold”) were professionally recorded and produced with full orchestration and performed for an IBM employee recognition event. Elbert wrote the music for two complete musicals, collaborating with his friend and playwright Georgia Taylor; both were received with rave reviews by the local theater community in suburban New Jersey. One of Elbert’s favorite activities was to share his talent on the piano by performing for the people in his life within his many communities, including Christ the King Episcopal Church. He was an active member of that congregation and sat on the vestry for several years.

A service will be held for Elbert on May 7, 2022 at 2pm at Christ the King Episcopal Church, 3021 State Route 213 East, Stone Ridge, NY 12484. It can be attended virtually at CTKStoneRige.org. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Christ the King Episcopal Church at the same website address.