PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh lost one of its most engaging neighbors earlier this month.
Joanne Rogers, widow of the iconic Fred Rogers, died at 92 on Jan. 14. She lived a long, fulfilled life that included a successful career as a professional pianist and teacher, as well as continuing to champion the accomplishments of her husband after his death in 2003.
"Joanne was one of the most caring souls that I have encountered," said Roberta Schomburg, executive director of the Fred Rogers Center. "Whenever she asked how you were ... everyone knew that she really did want to know and cared about the well-being of others."
Though Joanne Rogers didn't leave as much documentation of her life as her husband, there's still plenty of her to go around, including interviews she did last year for a Fox Chapel High School-produced documentary project, "Our Assignment from Fred Rogers."
Here she is on how to follow one of Mister Rogers' core teachings: "I think being a good neighbor first has to come [from] caring, caring about that person as a human being. ... As Fred talked about, giving your honest self is the best thing you can do."
As Schomburg pointed out, Joanne Rogers would often respond when asked what Mister Rogers would think about something with, "Dear, even I don't know what Fred would say or do about that."
"Use your own judgment and what you have learned from Fred to guide your steps," Schomburg said.
During the Fox Chapel documentary, Joanne Rogers was asked about her husband's willingness to engage with others' beliefs. She ended her answer with a forlorn, "Oh my, don't we need him."
Yes, we still need the Rogers, more than ever.
