Marshall Gilbert Rogers

Marshall wore many hats in his life. He collected them, the wilder the better, as well the stylish head toppers that were gifts from his daughter and wife. From a fool's hat to a Panama or genuine Stetson, he played the part. And he loved to pass them on, to encourage others to discover the joy of play, of not being afraid to amuse. His laugh was a hallmark of his deep love of irony and surprise. A dear friend said that she wanted to record his laugh, to cheer her up when she was down.
Born in Oklahoma City, to Evelyn Trueblood and Marshall Rogers, he was the oldest of three children, nicknamed Gib. His brother Alexander came just 18 months later, then Linda arrived, their wonderful baby sister. Marshall loved to read and study, and attended Whitworth College in Spokane WA, playing on the football team, intending to be a minister, later majoring in education. He met and married Joann Bush, the mother of his four beloved children. They traveled for his work, and Ann Elizabeth, was born in WA, soon followed by Gilbert Fields, born in Charlotte NC, and Adam Trueblood, born in Eugene, OR and Samuel Carlisle born in Oklahoma City, after they moved back to Oklahoma, to work in his family business with his father, mother and brother. He had started working there at age 11, at the hamburger grinder, standing on a stool to reach it.
While working in OKC, he continued his education. He became professionally active in integration and civil rights in a variety of careers in Oklahoma and later in LA, where he joined the LA County management team, eventually being the Chief of the Employee Development Division. His stories of that time, and more important, the people he worked with, continue to delight and sustain his sense of achievement. He was President of the American Indian Employee Association, and fought against prejudice his whole life. His legacy was to encourage the excluded from not only being hired, but trained into leadership. He loved Bluegrass Music, and played with his friends in a band at various Bluegrass Festivals during the 70's. Playing the washtub in a blue grass band, eventually graduating to a real stand-up bass.
Marshall moved to Laytonville CA in 1977 (a long story of the search for a second home becoming a reason to retire). He cut and milled the wood for much of his 12x20 cabin an hour's drive into the hills. He traveled to LA for consulting, and to visit his kids and friends. He blended into the rural community with his helpfulness, and love of social life, which was surprisingly abundant. Marshall loved people who loved people, regardless of their background or class or inclinations. Parties, cooking on the woodstove, and growing a garden were sources of joy in country life. He attended a tofu-making class in 1978, where he met the local medical social worker, Cynthia Wall. She never liked tofu after that, but did learn to like Marshall. Their affinity for social justice, helping others, and love of country living brought them to Westport, where they married May 24, 1981. The rainy wedding was held on the property, attended by a couple hundred friends and exes, land partners, lots of family, and a surprising number of LA professional colleagues, who braved Hwy One.
He found sobriety in Westport in 1985, and began to teach others how to support at-risk youth. This led to working with Fortune 500 companies, "with the people side of their business." Always learning, reading, and listening, he continued to form deep friendship and worked to maintain those from long ago.
In 1995 his health took a bad turn with a triple by-pass, just weeks after completing a backpacking trip, but he worked hard to get back into shape, continuing to work and make a difference. In 2001, a stroke forced retirement, age 64. Of course, we sang "the song" at the party attended by dozens of professional friends old and new. He became a Big Brother to Peter Dorn-Ravlin in 2003, and when his father passed in 2006, Peter became part of the family. Ten years later, a second by-pass was required. He became "mostly Vegan" and surprised everyone by not only surviving, but being active in AA, and supportive to his two middle sons Adam and Gib, who were seriously ill, eventually preceding him into the light.
Despite disability, he opted for a final grand adventure across country in an RV in early 2021, ending up at his daughter and son-in-law's in Englewood, FL. He did his best to settle there, and despite another heart attack in August 2022 requiring a referral to hospice, he continued his water workout in the wonderful warm Gulf coast weather. Hospice was a gift for him, having been a volunteer in Ft. Bragg, and he treasured the kindness of the nurses, assistants and Reiki volunteer. He moved to assisted living in late September 2022, five days before Hurricane Ian made life there less active. In mid-December he returned to Fort Bragg to be at home, where he passed peacefully with family at his side on December 31, 2022.
We are hoping to have a celebration of life at a beachside meet up on 3/11/23 in Ft. Bragg, 3 days after his birthday (weather dependent), with a potluck and time to share stories at his home in Ft. Bragg.
Marshall has joined his parents and sister Linda, his two middle sons Gib and Adam, and so many friends who died too soon. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Cynthia Wall, his daughter, Ann Stonecipher (Stoney) and son, Sam Rogers (Jannie), his beloved daughters-in-law Annie Robertson and Patty Sue Rogers, his brother Alex Rogers and his wife Pam, and eight grandchildren: Darwin Smart, Benjamin and Sequoyah Stonecipher, Samantha V. and Marshall Rogers, Cheyanne Rogers, Katie Martin, Chris Rogers and 4 great grandchildren.