ROSA MIRIAM ROGERS

ROGERS, Rosa Miriam October 1, 2025 Newbury, MA - Rosa Miriam Rogers, 85, passed away peacefully at home on October 1, 2025, surrounded by her family. Born September 12, 1940, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Rosa Miriam grew up in the town of Guayama with her parents and two siblings. From a young age, she embraced the arts-playing piano in concert halls across the island, performing in leading theatrical roles, and excelling in competitive declamation, the art of oratory recital. Storytelling and performance became enduring themes throughout her life. At 14, Rosa left Puerto Rico to attend Miss Hall's School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. There, she mastered English and immersed herself in American culture, though Puerto Rico always remained at the core of her identity. She often said, "Puerto Rico is my heart and soul." A gifted linguist, Rosa believed that speaking another language allowed one to "live two lives." After graduating from Miss Hall's, she studied French literature at Vassar College, and then earned her master's degree at Boston University. It was at BU where she met Henry Rogers, a Harvard Business School student. They married in 1965 and recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Together, Rosa and Henry raised three children-Howard, Gregory, and Rosa Maria-in their Newbury, Massachusetts home. She was a caring and steadfast mother, and one who constantly inspired them to excellence. Once her children were no longer little, Rosa returned to her passion for languages and began a career in education. Though fluent in French and Italian, she chose to teach Spanish-her first love. She taught at Glen Urquhart School in Beverly and Newburyport High School, but spent most of her teaching career at the Pingree School in Hamilton, where she served as Head of the Foreign Language Department for 19 years. Rosa was a beloved teacher who brought her theatrical spirit to the classroom, treating every lesson as a performance. Her students were her joy, and she was honored with multiple teaching awards-though she always said her greatest reward was watching them carry their love of language into the world. Outside the classroom, Rosa was a fierce doubles tennis competitor, once winning a Division League Championship, much to her delight. And in her retirement years, she loved to garden, cook delicious Puerto Rican rice and beans for her family, write and read papers for the Study Class of Newburyport, and to travel. Her favorite journey was a train trip across Peru with Henry, organized by the International Railway Travelers. The leg from Cusco to Puno-complete with Andean pipe music, the breathtaking altiplano, and a perfectly mixed pisco sour-was, in her words, "heaven." We are left with countless cherished memories. Rosa's gregarious nature and warm smile. Her fierce support of her kids. Her laughter with friends on the porch having wine and cheese. The stories she would recount at each family meal. Dinners at Park Lunch. Family tennis at Old Town Country Club. Holiday feasts with turkey and pumpkin pie. Her love of the Boston Classical Orchestra. And lest we forget - her famous secret flan recipe. Rosa Miriam is survived by her husband, their three children, and eight grandchildren. To honor her life, a service will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Immaculate Conception Church in Newburyport, MA, starting at 10:30AM, followed by a reception at Mission Oak Grill at 12:00PM. We invite anyone with a story or thoughts they would like to share of Rosa Miriam to bring it with them, written or spoken.

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