Saturday, September 4, 2021
I first met Rodger through his partner, Laura Paris, an English Country dance friend. At that time, Laura and Rodger were just getting to know each other. I think they met through their association with the Unitarian Universalist Church.
Rodger and I often got together at Starbucks in Stuyvesant Plaza, and I credit him with bringing me around to the idea that having a costly coffee with a friend on a regular basis was a worthwhile expense, not an extravagance. He had expansive interests, including music and film, but it was our mutual interest in politics, technology, philosophy and current events that drove our discussions. We shared many common values, including a concern for the environment, the education of youth and the state of democracy, and our conversations were lively with Rodger often proposing contrarian views to mine, just for the sake of friendly argument.
I fondly remember our good times together not only at Starbucks but in Laura and Rodger's garden and recently on Zoom. My wife, Diane, and I will miss him very much.
