David Hollister Rogers

1929 - 2017

DAVID HOLLISTER ROGERS May 2, 1929 March 21, 2017 David Hollister Rogers, 87, formerly of Paradise, CA, died Tuesday, March 21, 2017, in Springfield, Oregon following a short illness. Dave leaves his wife of 63 years, Constance (Decker) Rogers, his son Barry Hollister, his daughter Carol Elaine, and his three grandchildren Eleanor, Ann, and Christopher. His son, Bruce David, preceded him in death in 2011. Dave was born May 2, 1929 in Hempstead, NY to Ralph and Gladys (Hollister) Rogers. He graduated from High School in Webster, NY in 1947 and attended Harvard University, graduating in 1951. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1954. During this time he met the love of his life, Connie, sister of his college roommate. They were engaged within six weeks of meeting and were married in Webster in 1953. Their first child, Barry, was born in Boston in 1955 while Dave was serving in the US Army in Japan. In 1956 the family moved to California where Dave clerked for a judge on the 9th Circuit and then spent 10 years practicing law as a partner with an Oakland, California law firm. During this time, their other two children were born, Bruce in 1957, and Carol in 1959. In 1968, Dave moved with the family to India where he served five years as Peace Corps Country Director. After returning to the United States in 1973, Dave answered a newspaper ad that led to serving in the Northern Mariana Islands as chairman of the Micronesian Claims Commission, established by Congress to validate war claims by Micronesians who had lost property and loved ones in World War II. In 1977 he moved to Washington DC and became chief counsel of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission where he supported programs representing American citizens against foreign governments including the former East Germany. Dave retired from government service in 1988. In 1991 Dave and Connie moved to Paradise, CA, where he renewed his membership in the California Bar Association and volunteered for Legal Services of Northern California, providing legal services to low income residents of Butte County, California. The State Bar of California named him pro bono attorney of the year in 1994. In 2012, Dave and Connie moved to Eugene, Oregon where they became residents of Willamette Oaks Senior Living. An avid reader, Dave was passionate about history, politics, government and the law. A private memorial service will be planned for the summer.