Gertrude (Trudy) Rogers, 88, passed away Saturday May 8, 2021. She was born on June 27,1932, in the middle of Manhattan, N.Y. to parents Doris (Glenor) and S. Nathaniel Rochelle, and grew up with her three brothers, the late James (late Jackie), the late Martin (Roz), and Ira (Phyllis) Rochelle.
Trudy graduated from the State University of New York, Oswego in 1954 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and the new found love of her life, Arthur (Art) Rogers. Trudy met Art on a blind date and the two agreed to marry on their third meeting. Their college romance included a fraternity pinning ceremony as Art was the president of Phi Delta Kappa. Trudy and Art wed on June 12, 1954 in Auburn, N.Y and eventually moved to Niagara Falls, where they were both teachers in the Niagara Falls school system for many, many years. To her credit, they had been married for 58 years at the time of Art’s passing.
One of Trudy’s greatest accomplishments was raising her four children. She was a devoted mother who loved and educated her children, the late Arthur “Bill” (Donna Lee), Douglas (Kathy), Deborah (David) Fending, and the “best mistake ever” Donna (Paul) Casciani.
Trudy was also blessed with five grandchildren. She delighted in being a grandparent and enjoyed the time young Meredith Rogers spent at her house. Trudy then helped care for David Arthur (Michelle) and Dean “her protector” Fending, forming a close bond with each of them. She did her best to maintain a long distance relationship with her New York grandchildren Zachary (Jessica) and Alaina DiaPaul, often enlisting her expert shopping skills to send them wardrobe updates. Trudy was reaching a new milestone as she was being promoted to great grandmother in November 2021.
While it is very hard to imagine life without her here, we are so grateful to have had her for as long as we did and to know she lived a full life collecting friends everywhere she went.
