Thomas ‘Tom’ Alfred Rogers II, Beloved Husband, Father and Grandfather
Thomas “Tom” Alfred Rogers II, born November 2, 1951, passed peacefully on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at the age of 72. Tom was raised in Elizabeth and Union, New Jersey, and attended Union High School until relocating to Newark, Delaware, where he finished his senior year. During school, Tom had a distinguished athletic career, particularly in the track and field events of shot put and javelin (where his records were held for many years), as well as football. After high school, he briefly studied marine biology at the University of Miami, but surfing was his main interest.
In January of 1976, he married Sharon “Sherry” Howard Williams, and the two remained married for 48 years. They started their married life in Westfield, New Jersey, as owners of The Gilded Griffin Antique Shop, specializing in Victorian furniture. As their family grew with three children, the focus turned to a new vocation for Tom. A family relationship with Linde Air Products brought Tom an opportunity to open a new venture with the fabrication of pumping systems for cryogenic tanker trucks and Cryogenic Alternating Pump Control Systems Inc (CAPCSI) was started. Following CAPCSI, Tom worked for a few different companies and endeavors, but none that he enjoyed as much as Anthony James Master Builders. Eventually, Tom and Sherry retired, and in 2012, they relocated to McKinney, Texas, where they enjoyed spending time with neighbors and friends, and especially their three grandchildren.
Known for his humor, quick wit, and unwavering spirit, Tom was a master tinkerer who embraced life with an eagerness to share his common- sense logic and hands-on experience. Throughout his life, Tom never shied away from a project or challenge, whether it involved refurbishing Victorian furniture or vintage cars, teaching his children the joys of skiing, or guiding neighbors and friends on the right tools and techniques to troubleshoot their projects. Many people throughout his life often turned to him for advice, and Tom was always ready with a solution — or would happily research the answer if he didn’t know it. Tom also found great joy in cooking for his family and friends. He approached each new endeavor in the kitchen with the same curiosity and tenacity as all his other projects. Ultimately, this earned him the status of the best coffee cake, bread and brownie baker in the family. His coveted brownie recipe is still a point of family pride. He is preceded in death by his parents, Marion Rogers (née Boyce) and Howard Rogers. He is survived by his wife, Sherry; his brother, David Rogers (Nancy Priest), of Westfield, N.J.; and his children, Megan Rogers (Casey Leal), of Allen, Tex., Lindsay Rogers, of Knoxville, Tenn., and Joshua Rogers (Sarah Alexander), of New York City, N.Y., as well as three grandchildren, Dante Thomas Leal, Gunnar Howard Leal, and his namesake, Thomas (Tommy) Alfred Bennett Rogers III, as well as nieces, nephews, and other family.
A celebration of life service will be held at the Historic Allen Christian Church in the Allen Heritage Village, 450 E. St. Mary Drive, Allen, Texas, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 23. A small reception will be held at the same location immediately following the service. Additionally, an early summer memorial will be planned in New Jersey, where he lived most of his life; details to come.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to any of these causes: First Christian Church, P.O. Box 136, Mountain City, TN 37683-Designate: Helene Recovery Samaritan’s Purse: Helene Recovery Anchor of Hope Hospice, 7708 San Jacinto Place, Suite 100, Plano, Texas 75024.
October 31, 2024
