Sarah (Sally) E. Willis Rogers

Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Willis Rogers

Sally Rogers passed away April 24th after a brief illness. Sally was born in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland, November 2nd, 1941, the daughter of Charles W. and Eliza Russell Willis.

Sally did most of her growing up in Bel Air, Maryland, and graduated from Bel Air High School. She attended Syracuse University, graduating in 1963 with a BS degree. She was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.

She enjoyed a long and successful career in advertising and marketing, serving in executive positions at major agencies in New York, Chicago and Baltimore. Shortly before retiring, she served as Vice President, Marketing for a San Francisco-based eCommerce company, MyPetTribute.com. In retirement, she continued to practice her marketing skills by selling on eBay.

Sally married Robert William Rogers in 1974. Because Bob was an oil company executive, the couple spent several years living in Iran, where Sally learned Farsi and haggled for rugs with the best of them until Bob’s employer returned them to Chicago. Bob preceded her in death in 1994.

An avid and accomplished horsewoman, Sally also enjoyed cooking (her gravy was superb), gardening, travel, theater, dancing, her parade of adopted cats and dogs, and collecting Southwestern, Native American, Mexican and Pre-Columbian Art.

Before moving to California, she was an enthusiastic member of the Maryland clog dancing community, notably the Silver Eagle Cloggers. In the Coachella Valley, she was a docent at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum and Palm Springs Art Museum. She also was a member of the Western Arts Council and the Desert Hot Springs Historical Society. She volunteered at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, most recently serving on the garden committee. To express her love of the performing arts, she ushered at the Follies and Pavilion Theatre.

Sally’s resting place is at the Bel Air Memorial Gardens where she joins her parents. She is survived by her cousins, Katharine A. Russell of Indian Wells CA, J. C. Russell of Buckeye AZ, and her devoted canines, Hershey Kiss, Abby and Cocoa.

The family suggests memorial donations be directed to Palm Springs Art Museum and Palm Springs Animal Shelter.

A Celebration of Life is planned for the Fall on her birthday, November 2, 2025, in the garden at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. Those who wish to be present should contact her cousin Katharine at russellwrites2@yahoo.com.