Luke Rogers
Lieu de naissance : Neil's Harbour
Date de décès : 5 avril 2013
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Luke Rogers on April 5, 2013, at Northside General Hospital surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Neil’s Harbour and raised in North Sydney, he was the youngest son of the late John and Elizabeth (Neal) Rogers.
Luke was self-employed as a trucker in his early years and then 27 years as an employee of Canadian National Railway and Marine Atlantic in North Sydney. Horses were his passion; he owned, trained, and worked with horses from his early youth and later drove and trained harness horses at the North Sydney Racetrack from the late 1930s and continued until the early nineties. The period from the 70s to the 90s were spent racing horses with his son Billy, which occupied many of his retirement years.
Luke and Billy, along with his brother Henry as well as his brother-in-law Joe Pearcey and fellow horseman Alexander MacRae, spent about 20 years racing numerous horses in Sydney, North Sydney, Inverness, and occasionally Charlottetown. These times were very pleasurable and rewarding for him and in 2011 he was given a lifetime achievement award from the Cape Breton Horsemen’s Association.
He was above all a devoted family man who loved his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He and Lorraine took their children on weekly Sunday picnics and a camping trip every summer, usually to P.E.I. His skills as a handyman were always put to use to help his children with their house repairs and whatever needed fixing. He was also well known to local horseman for his skills repairing harness and equipment. His house and property were kept in immaculate condition and he was never idle his entire life.
Luke was predeceased by his parents, brother Henry Rogers; and sister, Mary Rose.
He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Lorraine (Pearcey); sister, Rita Hillier; children, Billy (Joanne) Rogers, Sheila (Bill) Munro, Jacqueline Rogers and Donna (Greg) MacRae, along with grandchildren, Tanya, Yvette, Robbie (Dianne), Roger (Lisa), Chad (Shauna), Danielle, Neal John, Rebecca, Rachael, Luke, Arthur (Tammy) and Matthew (Holly). He also had great-grandchildren, Victoria, Jason, Alyssa, Caitlin, Christopher, Isaac, Sophia, Nila, Elise and Emma, as well as two great-great-grandchildren, Mason and Ava. He has numerous surviving nieces and nephews including a special niece Betty Ferguson who spent her early years in her grandparents’ house where Luke was living before his marriage.
The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to Dr. John Kirkpatrick for his many years of constant above and beyond patient care and also a sincere thanks to the nursing staff on the 5th floor at Northside General Hospital for exceptional care during his stay. Sincere thanks also goes out to Rev. Carl Fraser for his sincere and compassionate prayers and comforting words during Luke’s last days.
Visitation for Luke will be Monday, April 8, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at W.J. Dooley Funeral Home, 107 Pleasant St., North Sydney. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, April 9 at 3 p.m. in St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, North Sydney, with Rev. Carl Fraser officiating, a reception to follow in the church hall.
Donations in Luke’s memory may be made to St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, North Sydney.
Online condolences may be sent to www.wjdooley.com.
