Barry Rogers Legacy Fund
The Barry Rogers Legacy Fund will provide respite for kinship caregivers, support young people pursuing trade school and other nontraditional educational opportunities, and give children access to camps, extracurricular activities, and experiences their families might not otherwise be able to provide.
Barry Rogers' childhood was marked by instability, as he moved from foster home to foster home and was separated from his siblings—a loss that stayed with him throughout his life. But people also planted important seeds along the way. His first foster family made sure he attended summer camp each year and took him to Sunday school, experiences Barry never forgot. His faith in God became an important part of his life, and he was baptized at a young age. A diligent student and avid reader, Barry found both refuge and inspiration in books such as The Lord of the Rings and The Odyssey. Eventually, he found stability with a foster family who encouraged his future: his foster father urged him to join the United States Air Force, while his foster mother gave him something wonderfully ordinary and deeply meaningful—his own room, a little spending money, and a place to belong.
After serving in the Air Force, Barry met Elle. Eleven days later, he asked her to marry him—because sometimes, when you know, you know. During more than 35 years of marriage, Barry and Elle raised seven biological children and later adopted three of their grandchildren. Barry was adamant the children would remain together; having experienced separation from his own siblings, he would not let history repeat itself. Their family grew to include Jessica, Dakota, Dean, Gabrielle, Noah, Jordan, Beck, Anthony, Alijah, and Aubrey. And bonus son, Chad Watson.
Their home also became a doorway to the wider world. Through Elle's work with EF Foundation, the Rogers family welcomed many international exchange students, affectionately joking that their spare bedroom had become "the United Nations." Barry valued the way these relationships taught their children to be more open-minded and introduced them to people, cultures, and experiences beyond their own. Among the students who became part of their family, Carolina Rueda Garcia and Eva Minatel held a special place in their hearts.
Barry valued education but believed there was more than one path to a successful life. He and Elle homeschooled their children, and he strongly encouraged young people to consider skilled trades and other alternatives to traditional four-year college programs. He understood firsthand the challenges faced by families affected by addiction and the tremendous physical, emotional, and financial demands placed upon kinship caregivers. He also remembered what seemingly small opportunities—a week at summer camp, an activity, a little something extra—had meant to a foster child who otherwise had very little.
Barry worked for Lonza Biologics for 22 years, where he was a valued colleague and mentor who trained countless new employees. But the role Barry treasured most was at home, where he was a deeply loved husband, dad, and grandfather to Lyra.
Not long before his death, Barry told Elle that he had no regrets about his life because he had gotten everything he had ever wanted: a family.
The Barry Rogers Legacy Fund was established through a partnership between Lonza Biologics and Barry's widow, Elle Rogers, who each contributed $5,000. Together, their $10,000 founding gift honors Barry's life by supporting what meant the most to him. The fund will provide respite for kinship caregivers, support young people pursuing trade school and other nontraditional educational opportunities, and give children access to camps, extracurricular activities, and experiences their families might not otherwise be able to provide.
Through this fund, Barry's family hopes that the generosity and kindness that defined his life will continue to strengthen other families—and that their husband, dad, and grandfather will be known and remembered by the good done in his name.