Loretta Rogers
Loretta Rogers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Loretta Anne Robinson 13 April 1939 London, England |
| Died | 11 June 2022 (aged 83) Toronto, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Business leader, philanthropist |
| Known for | Director at Rogers Communications; philanthropy in health care |
Loretta Anne Rogers (née Robinson; April 13, 1939 – June 11, 2022) was a Canadian business leader and philanthropist originally from England. She held a directorship at Rogers Communications and was married to Ted Rogers, the founding president and CEO of the company. In 2015, her fortune was valued by Forbes at approximately US$5.5 billion.
Early life and education
Born in London, England, Rogers was the younger child and sole daughter of Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere, a British Conservative politician who served as Governor of Bermuda from 1964 to 1972, and Maysie Gasque, an American heiress linked to the F. W. Woolworth Company legacy.
She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Miami and was later honored with honorary doctorates by the University of Western Ontario, Ryerson University, and the University of Toronto.
Career
Beginning in December 1979, Rogers acted as a non-independent director at Rogers Communications Inc. Her board roles extended to include positions with Rogers Media Inc., Rogers Telecommunications Inc., Rogers Cable Inc., and Rogers Wireless Communications Inc.
Philanthropy
Alongside her husband Ted Rogers, she founded the Loretta A. Rogers Chair in Eating Disorders at Toronto General & Western Hospital within the University Health Network, where she contributed to the foundation board starting in 2005. The couple also created the Ted Rogers and Family Chair in Heart Function in 2009, which was further supported by the establishment of the Ted Rogers Centre of Excellence in Heart Function in 2012.
Personal life
On September 25, 1963, she married Edward S. Rogers Jr. (Ted Rogers). Their family included four children: Lisa, Edward, Melinda, and Martha.
Her son Edward Rogers III serves as chairman of both Rogers Communications and the Rogers Control Trust, which holds majority voting power. Daughter Melinda Rogers-Hixson is the founder of Rogers Venture Partners, a San Francisco-based technology investment firm, and acts as vice-chair of the Rogers Control Trust.
Death
Rogers passed away at her residence in Toronto on June 11, 2022, aged 83.