Obituary of Mary H. Rogers

Mary H. Rogers, 84, a resident of DeBordieu Colony in Georgetown, SC, died peacefully October 12, 2022 after a long and extraordinary life. Mary was a classic “mother”, both to her family and all the neighbor’s children, and their pets. Her home was always filled with the sounds of children and animals. She was an outstanding cook and hostess, and loved to entertain. Born on Valentine’s day in Summerville, SC, she attended high school in Harleyville, SC where she starred on the girl’s basketball team. She attended the University of South Carolina where she became a Cheerleader, and graduated with Majors in English and Physical Education. She met her future husband at the University of South Carolina and married on graduation day - May 29, 1959. Upon graduation, she travelled with her husband to his duty station in Villefranche Sur Mer, France, the home port of the Sixth Fleet Flagship, where she lived for three years on the economy, playing on the local women’s basketball team, enjoying the tennis facilities at the Monte Carlo Country Club as the guest of Princess Grace Kelly Renier and on occasion dining with Winston Churchill in his retirement. She travelled extensively throughout Europe during this three-year period, often meeting her husband’s ship in Lisbon, Gibraltar, Naples, Venice, Palermo, Marseille, Barcelona, Casablanca, Dubruvnik, Athens, Istanbul, and Beirut, with trips to all of the European Capitals, including the USSR occupied sector of Berlin, and she attended the Rome Olympics where she spent two days watching track and field seated by Ty Cobb. When she and her husband returned to the States in 1963, she taught physical education in high school in Dundalk, Maryland and then in Alexandria, Virginia where she worked on her Master’s degree at George Washington University. After her children were born, she became a homemaker and was very active in local charities, her children’s schools, and politics (a Virginia GOP delegate for many years). Mary was very social. Over her life she traveled extensively with her husband in the United States, attending golf tournaments, the Montreal World’s Fair, and numerous conventions. She was comfortable shrimping and crabbing in the salt water marshes of Cherry Grove Beach SC and Georgetown SC as well as attending Mardi Gras Balls in New Orleans LA and Presidential Inaugurations in Washington DC. Mary was a gifted athlete throughout her life, with a 5.0 USTA rating and accumulating over the years a number of country club championships in both golf and tennis at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria VA and DeBordieu Club in Georgetown SC. Mary is predeceased by her parents Averill Lawton Harbeson and Helen Finucan Harbeson, her brother Richard Harbeson and her brother-in-law Patrick Stackhouse Rogers. She is survived by her husband Lawton, a daughter Lyndsey (Bill) Livingston in Irmo, S.C., a son Lawton IV “Tag” in Monument, CO., and five grandchildren, Will Livingston, Sarah Anne Livingston, Kate Livingston, Coby Rogers and Brady Rogers. She also leaves behind a brother William Harbeson (Frances) in Summerville, SC, and numerous cousins. Her life will be celebrated 3-5 pm at DeBordieu Country Club in Georgetown, SC on Saturday, January 7, 2023. All who knew her are welcome. Online condolences may be left at www.ridgewayfh.com. Ridgeway Funeral Home of Georgetown is in charge of the arrangements. (843) 485-4242