Maro Kouyoumjian Rogers

Maro Kouyoumjian Rogers, having created a life that successfully blended her upbringing in the Middle East with her adopted home in South Carolina, died October 23, 2026. She was born September 10, 1931, in Fallujah, Iraq, the daughter of Armenian Christian parents. Her early schooling at home was in far-flung places including Ramadi, Hindiya Barrage, and Abu Graib, where her father worked as resident engineer on irrigation projects – “making the desert bloom.”

When the family settled in Baghdad, Maro enrolled in the American School for Girls. Upon graduation in 1953, she was awarded a scholarship by Dr. Wright Spears, president of Columbia College in South Carolina. While there, she made many friends from across the state, frequently making talks to church groups and visiting fellow students in their homes on holidays and weekends.

After graduating in 1956, Maro wrote letters applying for a teaching position, and was employed to teach English and history at Lexington High School. That year she met 1st Lt. Harmon Hugh Rogers, Fort Jackson Office of the Staff Judge Advocate. They were married November 11, 1956, shortly before his assignment to Korea. Dr. Spears officiated.

After teaching at Lexington High School and then the High School of Charleston, Maro and Hugh returned to Lexington. She established a private kindergarten, the Little Red Schoolhouse, and for 43 years started youngsters on the path to successful careers and good citizenship. She was an active community member, involved with the Lexington Women’s Club, Friends of the Lexington Library, Friends of the Lexington County Museum, Mt. Horeb Methodist Church, the Lexington Cotillion, and Les Bons Amis.

In 1976, Maro was elected to Lexington Town Council. She served 21 years, including some as mayor pro tem. A fiscal conservative, she was frequently the top vote-getter in elections. Upon her retirement she was presented the Order of the Palmetto by Governor David Beasley.

While growing up in Baghdad, she and her sister, Aida, were fascinated by Americans they observed in social settings. It was post-World War II, and the Truman “Point Four” program brought Americans to Iraq’s capital city. Two of those were Ruth Butler of Pelion, SC, and Betty Waite of Camden, SC, who later married Bernard Manning, Columbia attorney. Small world.

Maro loved Columbia’s Main Street, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. She wrote letters to the editor of the city’s newspapers for years, informing the public of the “First Genocide of the 20th Century,” the slaughter of Christian Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. Her mother was a survivor.

She spoke with a slightly noticeable accent and people often asked her national origin. “I’m Armenian” was her reply. Maro became an American citizen in 1961 in a session presided over by U.S. District Judge George Bell Timmerman, Sr., of Lexington County.

Her talents were many, among them singing, dancing, and cooking. Her lamb shish kabob, made over a rudimentary fire on an early date with Hugh, made a lifelong impression. In later years, guests were treated to her native cuisine, sampling foods they’d never had, just as her kindergarten students learned to sing “O Christmas Tree” in Armenian at holiday recitals. She loved the United States and South Carolina, learning to shag and cook southern foods. Having grown up swimming in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, she was concerned about the environment and an early proponent of recycling.

Maro is survived by her husband, Hugh Rogers, daughters Myda Tompkins (Jiggs Tompkins, deceased) of Columbia, Aida Rogers (Dr. Wally Peters, deceased) of Columbia, Margot Parrott (Steve) of Charlotte, North Carolina, and son, Clifton Rogers (Pat) of Lexington. Her grandchildren are Margaret Tompkins, Rian Tompkins Steffens (Charlie), Charlotte Parrott, Paige Parrott O’Brien (Patrick), Maddison Rogers, step-granddaughter Ariel Smith (Lee); two great-granddaughters, Margot and Julia O’Brien, and three step-great-grandsons, Rohan, Asa, and Asher Smith. In addition she is survived by her four nephews, Armen, Brian, and Roger Shanafelt and their families, Shawn Rogers and his family, and niece Kimberly Rogers and her son, Julian.

Maro was predeceased by her parents, Mannig Dobajian Kouyoumjian and Mardiros Kouyoumjian, sister Aida Kouyoumjian, brother Setrak Kouyoumjian, and an infant brother, Hagop Kouyoumjian.

A memorial service will be 1:30 p.m. November 15, 2026, at Lexington United Methodist Church, 309 East Main Street. A reception will follow in Wesley Hall. Memorials are suggested for the Columbia College Loyalty Fund, 1301 Columbia College Drive, Columbia, SC, 29203, https://www.columbiasc.edu/koala-community/alumni/give

The family would like to thank Shay’na Davis with Still Hopes Solutions for Living at Home for her care in recent months.