William J. "Bill" Rogers

ORANGE- William J. “Bill” Rogers, 75, formerly of Hamilton Avenue, died on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at the Bennington (VT) Health and Rehabilitation.

Born in York, Maine on December 11, 1944, he was a son of John and Florence (MacInnis) Downing and grew up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1963 and later attended Keene (NH) State College. He served in the United States Coast Guard Reserves for 6 years.

Bill was married to Anne (Kenney), whom he had met at Keene State College, in 1966 and enjoyed 33 years until her death on February 14, 1999.

Bill lived in Orange since 1968, following 2 years in Warwick and had only been in Vermont briefly.

Bill played professional baseball for 6 years with the Baltimore Oriole’s. He later became an entrepreneur and had several businesses including WILISCO for 4 years, which sold gifts, WJR Desserts & Ice Cream which sold ice cream products wholesale, and for six years, owned Anne’s Dairy Bar in Orange, before becoming a licensed real estate broker in the area for 7 years.

Bill had been a member of the Knights of Columbus in Orange, the Orange Kiwanis Club and the Athol-Orange Elks Lodge #1837.

Bill had served 10 years on the Orange Elementary School Committee.

Bill enjoyed playing cards and cribbage and going to the race tracks to watch his horse run.

Survivors include his son, William K. Rogers, of New York; and several close friends and relatives.

Bill is predeceased by his two sisters, Barbara Corbin of Hoosick Falls, NY and Kim Vincent of Derry, NH.

There are no calling hours.

Services and interment in South Cemetery, Orange, will be private.

Donations in Bill’s memory can be made to St. Vincent De Paul- St. Mary’s, 19 Congress Street, Orange, MA 01364 to help the food pantry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Witty’s Funeral Home, 158 South Main Street, Orange, is assisting the family.

You may offer your sympathy online at WWW.WITTYFUNERALHOME.COM

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William J. "Bill" Rogers, please visit our floral store.