Gilbert T. Rogers

    ROGERS, Gilbert T., 80, LEWISTON, December 14, 2013.

    LEWISTON – Gilbert T. Rogers, 80, died peacefully on December 14, in the personal care home at Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village, Lewisburg, PA, after a long, valiant effort fighting two cancers. He was born in Montpelier, Vermont, on October 22, 1933, son of the late Helen Hill Inderbitzin and stepson of Milton Davis Inderbitzin. 
    Gil, as his friends knew him, and Gib, as his family called him, grew up in Muskegon, MI. After finishing high school, Gib joined the air force where he learned to fly, and to love flying. He was an avid amateur pilot and owned several airplanes. His passion for flying remained with him his entire life. He attended Kalamazoo College on the GI bill. While attending Kalamazoo College, Gib received a scholarship to spend a summer studying in Caen, France, where he perfected his French and cemented a love for languages.
    He married Doreen Fitzgerald while in college, and they had two fine children, Ben Rogers of Fairbanks, AL, and Jenny Rogers of Port Huron, MI, who survive him. He went on to receive a PhD in 1970 from Purdue University in Educational Psychology and Counseling. He subsequently moved to Presque Isle, ME, where he was a Professor of Psychology at the University of Maine from 1970-1993. In Presque Isle, he lived on a farm which he loved, grew potatoes and strawberries, and raised his son.
    When he “retired,” he moved to Lewistown, PA, where he worked for Clear Concepts, Mifflintown, PA, as a drug and alcohol counselor from 1995-2000. He was a part time teacher at Penn State from 2000-2012; he loved teaching. He also worked at the Meadows Outpatient Clinic as an outpatient therapist from 2000-2004.
    Among his many hobbies and other activities, were writing books about his life, his children and his grandchildren that he self-published. He loved to fish and was an excellent woodworker and stained glass artisan. His home was full of stained glass windows he made, and interesting furniture he put together from various objects he found. Of special interest and importance to him were his philanthropic endeavors. These were based on his belief in the importance of boosting one’s own aspiration level and his keen awareness that some groups have a particularly hard time with this. They have to start somewhere, and it was Gib’s hope to give them a boost if he could. To this end, he gave generous gifts for Hispanic youth to several local organizations such as the Mifflin County Library and the Evangel Baptist Church. He also donated a building lot to Habitat for Humanity.
    He is survived by his son and daughter; four grandchildren; Noah Rogers, Rachel Borjesson, Emily Rogers, Matthew Rogers; his brother, Lawrence B. Inderbitzin of Middleburg, PA and his sister, Lynne Clouston, of  Fairmont, WV.
    Tax deductible donations in honor of his memory can be made to: www.thekidsakefoundation.wordpress.com or mail a check to 331 Huron Ave., Port Huron, MI 48060.