Charles “Charlie” Morey Rogers, Ph.D., died on May 25, 2013 in Vernon, Ala.

He was born April 27, 1923 in New Haven, Conn., the first child to Herbert Wesley Rogers, Ph.D. and Margaret Evertson Cobb Rogers, Ph.D.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Virginia Davis Hood Rogers, sister Virginia “Ginnie” Rogers Leonard, twin brother and sister, Evertson “Jack” Rogers and Prudence “Jill” Rogers, and an infant daughter, Louise Rogers.

He is survived by three children and four grandchildren, as well as two Rogers nieces and a nephew and their families. Children are Margaret “Meg” Virginia Rogers (John Kunsch) of Archer, Fla.; Elizabeth “Beth” Rogers Lassetter (Dan) of Vernon, Ala.; and James “Jim” Herbert Rogers (Melanie) of Huntsville, Ala. Grandchildren are Jason Daniel Lassetter (Tina) of Vernon, Ala, Michael David Lassetter (Susan) of Louisville, Miss., and Laurel Hope Rogers and Lindsey Faith Rogers of Huntsville, Ala. His Rogers nieces and nephew are John Leonard (Donna) and Phyllis Leonard of Boothbay Me., and Linda Swanson (Tom) of Syracuse, N.Y.

Charlie grew up in Easton, Pa., where his father was professor of psychology at Lafayette University. His mother was also a psychologist. His parents worked at camps in New England in the summer, including at Lake Nicatous, Maine. Charlie told stories of going camping and fishing with his father and brother. He competed in swimming during high school.

Charlie went to college at Columbia University. While there, he had the opportunity to go to after-hours jazz clubs in Harlem and see famous performers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. After World War II began, Charlie joined the Merchant Marines as an officer. During the height of the war he served on tankers that crossed the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Arabian seas. Late in the war he served on supply ships in the Pacific.

When he returned home, he completed a bachelor’s degree at Lafayette. He then went to graduate school at Yale. While there his sister introduced him to Virginia “Ginga,” who was in the graduate school of nursing. The couple was soon married. They had their first child, Meg, while living in New Haven and Charlie completed his degree. In the first of what would be many moves during their lives, the family relocated to Austin, Texas, where Charlie did post-doctoral research and Beth was born. Their next move took them to Worcester, Mass., where Louise was born and lived her short life.

The family then moved to Orange Park, Fla., where Charlie worked at the Yerkes Primate Center and where Jim was born. There, Charlie was active in the Lions Club, serving as president and helping the organization build a clubhouse. In 1965 the Yerkes Center was transferred from Yale to Emory and the family followed it to Atlanta, Ga., living in adjacent DeKalb County. In 1972 Charlie took an academic job at the University of Guelph in Canada. After a year there, he joined the Psychology Department at Auburn University and took over its rhesus monkey lab.

While at Auburn, Charlie led research, taught classes and guided many graduate students who became lasting friends.

As he neared retirement, he bought “Spike’s Girl,” a 33-foot sloop he and Ginga sailed between Florida and Maine for many years. In 1985 they retired and became regular summer residents at their cabin in Newagen. They wintered in Florida for a number of years in Crystal River, then North of Gainesville, and later in New Smyrna Beach. For the last three years Charlie and Ginga lived next door to daughter Beth in Vernon so she could help him care for Ginga as her Alzheimer’s progressed. After Ginga’s death on May 6, 2011, Charlie moved in with Beth and Dan. They were able to make it to Maine every summer, although the stays were shorter in recent years.

A memorial service for Charles and Virginia Rogers will be held at Southport United Methodist Church on August 10 at 1 p.m. A reception with light refreshments will be held at the Southport Town Hall after the service. Donations in their memory can be made to the Pine Tree Society, P.O. Box 518, Bath, ME 04530. The society helps people in Maine with disabilities lead richer, more socially connected lives.