Dorothy Rogers Obituary

Dorothy Wassel Rogers, 93, of Morrisville, Vermont and formerly of Craftsbury and Stowe, passed away on June 24 at the Manor skilled nursing facility in Morrisville, of chronic health issues.
Dottie, as she liked to be known, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on February 23, 1932, the daughter of Louis John Wassel and Gertrude Ahrens. She was raised in Upper Montclair, attending Edgemont Grade School, George Innes Junior High, and graduating Montclair High School in 1950. That summer she received a scholarship from Montclair Rotary to attend Interlocken Summer Music Camp in Michigan, where she chose to take college-level activities, including orchestral conducting.
Her first semester of college was taken at Trenton State Teachers College, where she once taught the music theory class when the professor was out sick. Recognizing her musical abilities, her parents transferred her to Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio, where she graduated in 1954 with honors in general music education (voice and instrumental).
Responding to two job offers in Vermont, she accepted the position in Stowe because she wanted to learn to ski. She taught grades one through twelve and began instrumental music instruction for fourth grade up–resulting in an orchestra and band.
Then known as Dot–or Miss Wassel to her students–she met her future husband at a Stowe rotary dinner to welcome local teachers. Dr. Sam Rogers was a local Family physician, cardiologist, native Vermonter, and a resident of Stowe since 1939. He liked to call her Dottie, and the name stuck.
They married on August 10, 1957, and raised their three boys, Sam Junior, Paul, and Jeff, at their home on Maple Street in Stowe.
The family moved into a new home on the old Sargent farm on West Hill in 1967. Dottie taught her sons to love the outdoors and instilled in them an appreciation for music. Dr. Sam died in 1978 and Dottie saw her sons through their final years of high school and then college.
Always opinionated and outspoken, her interest in community affairs lead her to be an effective Stowe Planning Commission member for 19 years, helping the town set in place regulations to protect it from unbridled growth. Its rules have shaped the town to this day. One of her colleagues who shared that role was Larry Heath Sr.
At one time she was also on the board of adjustment but was ousted by the Board of Selectmen. Regarding that event, she was supported by then zoning board chairman David Demerit saying, "whether it's me, or you, or somebody else she doesn't know everyone gets treated the same by her. No one gets off easy. You know the rest of us tend to hedge a little sometimes."
Dottie's musical interest kept her involved: as a violinist in the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra for 30 years (also on their board of directors), as a volunteer for Mozart concerts in Vermont, and as a fan of regional classical concerts, which she attended throughout the northeast for most of her life.
She also enjoyed travel, visiting such places as Africa, Central America, Australasia, and the far east.
She seemed to be fearless, having informed her family one time that a stranger parked his camper in front of her house and seemed to be intent on staying. She greeted him with a shotgun in her arms and he likely changed his mind about places to lodge.
She will be remembered for her zest for life, generosity, love for family, reading mystery novels from John Grisham, and cats.
Remaining to cherish Dottie's memory are her sons Jeff of Seattle Washington, Paul of Stowe, daughter-in-law Evelyn Rogers of Monument Colorado, grandson Gabriel Rogers of Tokyo, stepdaughter Gail Makowski of Las Cruces New Mexico, and other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents Louis and Gertrude Wassel, her brother Jack Wassel and his wife Helen, her husband Dr. Sam Rogers, her son Sam Rogers Junior, and her stepson Danny Rogers.
A Memorial service will be held this summer, announcement to follow.
Memorial donations in Dottie's name may be made to the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra, online at www.vermontphilharmonic.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dorothy, please visit our floral store.