Mary Nichols Rogers

Mary Nichols Rogers, age 91, died peacefully on Sunday morning, February 11, 2018 with her husband at her side. She was born in Princeton, Kentucky on June 26, 1926.

She was the only child of Homer W. Nichols and Lola Spickard Nichols. When Mary was a young child, the family moved to Frankfort, Kentucky. Mary graduated from Frankfort High School in 1944 and enrolled in the University of Kentucky College Of Education.

On May 2, 1946, she married Robert L. Rogers, also of Frankfort and they both continued their education residing in Cooperstown, the WWII barracks living area which was provided on campus for many veterans. They both graduated from UK in 1948.

In 1949, they and their daughter Ann moved to Louisville. Mary had opportunities to teach in the rapidly growing post-war Jefferson County school system, but chose instead to be a fulltime mother and homemaker.

In Louisville, she joined St. Matthews Baptist Church and later Lyndon Baptist Church, teaching Sunday School and becoming a leader in the Girls Auxiliary organization. For the past 12 years, she was a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church, where she was an active participant in the OASIS Sunday School class.

On the day Baptist Hospital opened in 1975, Mary began volunteering as a Day Chairman. She coordinated the volunteers who worked on her day and provided support to the Volunteer Director. She continued in this volunteer work for 42 years. For several years she served as President of the Baptist Hospital Auxiliary, which administered many special projects at the hospital. In 1996, Mary was named Volunteer of the Year.

Mary enjoyed playing bridge and was a member of a bridge club for 40 years. She loved her home, her church, reading, traveling and enjoying their condominium in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Above all else, she deeply loved her family and their times together. She was an extraordinary wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be greatly missed by all, but we are thankful that her pain and suffering have ended and that she is now resting peacefully in God's hands.

She is survived by her loving husband of 71 years, Bob Rogers; three children, Ann, of Cambridge, MA., Paul (Barbara) of Louisville and Becky Taylor (Ron) of Villa Hills, KY.; five grandchildren, Eric Rogers (Laura), Carrie Bucalo (Ryan), Jeff Taylor (Kathy), Austin Taylor, and Adam Fisher (Jackie); and nine great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express appreciation to Belmont Village for the thoughtfulness and consideration shown to Mary during her residency there, and to Baptist Health and Hosparus of Louisville for their care and compassion during Mary's final days.

Visitation will be held at Newcomer, Cremations, Funerals and Receptions East Chapel, 235 Juneau Drive, Louisville, KY 40243 on Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., with a funeral service to follow at 3 p.m. at the funeral home. A private burial will be at Cave Hill Cemetery on Friday, February 16, 2018.

Expressions of remembrance may be made to St. Matthews Baptist Church - REImagine Campaign, 3515 Grandview Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207, or to the WHAS Crusade for Children.