Long-time church member and former church trustee Dr. Laura S Rogers of South Orange NJ, passed away on Thursday, 28 July 2016. She joined the church on 24 April 1982, and after a period of inactivity, rejoined on 21 March 2010.
Born in 1935 to David and Nora Simmons in Glen Cove, NY, she received a BA in Music at Queens College before working for a number of educational institutions in New York and New Jersey, including Columbia University's Admissions Office and Essex Community College in Newark. She received a doctorate from Rutgers University in counseling psychology in 1982. She worked at AT&T as an industrial psychologist until her retirement in 1984. Throughout her career, Laura lectured on corporate management concerns, job stress and professional development issues concerning women and African-Americans. She served as a consultant for various corporations, government entities and educational institutions including the American Council on Education, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the Ad Hoc Committee on Women in Higher Education of the NJ Commission on the Status of Women, New Jersey Department of Education and the College of St. Elizabeth.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Laura embarked on a three month trip of Europe which sparked a lifelong passion for world travel. In 1959, she married William T. Rogers, Jr. and had a son, William T. Rogers, III in 1962. Laura and William eventually divorced.
Laura received numerous professional awards throughout her career including: Distinguished Service Award for Excellence from Essex County College; Bell Communications Research Award for Outstanding Contribution Toward Women's Achievement; Election to the National Honor Society in Education from KAPPA DELTA PI - Rutgers University; AT&T Recipient of the Outstanding Women Achievers Award of the YMCA of the City of New York; AT&T Recipient of the One Hundred Most Outstanding Black Women in Business & Industry Award from Dollars and Sense Magazine, Chicago, IL; AT&T Synergy Award for Outstanding Achievement; and AT&T NSD Salute Award.
In addition to co-founding a number of professional organizations, Laura was active in established professional organizations including: the American Psychological Association; American Association for Counseling and Career Development; American Personnel and Guidance Association; College Student Personnel Association; Association of Women Deans and Counselors; National Association of Foreign Student Affairs; Association of Black Psychologists; and, the New Jersey Academy of Psychology. Laura’s participation in the summer program of the Encampment for Citizenship in the 1960's inspired her to accept leadership roles in community service. Her service on trustee boards of community organizations was a constant even after retirement: she served as a Trustee and Member of the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Essex and West Hudson, the United Way, and the South Orange/Maplewood Adult School. Years after her retirement from employment and volunteer community activity people whose lives she touched continued to express their appreciation of her help. Laura enjoyed a decades-long affiliation with First UU where she served as a trustee and committee member. Laura’s green thumb seemed to be innate; without effort she could make any plant grow. She enjoyed travel, the study of history, and cooking but will always be remembered for her intense interest and active support of all things artistic including classical music, ballet, plays and art museums.
She is survived by her son William, her sister Gwendolyn Faulkner, and nephews David Faulkner, Mark Faulkner, Lionel Banister and Craig Banister. A funeral service was held for Laura at the UU Congregation at Montclair on 11 August 2016.