Bruce Allan Rogers
Bruce Allan Rogers, 87, passed away January 11, 2026, in the nursing care facility at Cypress Cove Retirement Community, Fort Myers, Florida.
He was born July 19, 1937, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania to Chilton Lake Rogers and Grace Warren Rogers.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joan; his children Christina (Jonah) Rees of Wheaton, Illinois; Danny (Maggie) Rogers of Winchester, Kentucky; and his grandchildren: Zach and Owen Rees and Jackson, Maysie, and Allen Rogers.
Also surviving are his sister Carol Sue Rogers of Davie, Florida and brother Robert Rogers of Miami, Florida. He is predeceased by his father and mother.
Bruce’s family moved to Miami, Florida from Pennsylvania. After graduating from Miami Edison High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida. He was drafted and served in Germany for 18 months. When he returned, he worked in the Dade County Parks Department. He then received his master’s degree in recreation administration from Florida State University.
Pursuing his doctorate, he attended the University of Illinois where he met Joan. He worked at the Illinois State Department of Conservation for seven years before starting his career as Director of the City of Sanibel’s Planning Department from 1978 to 2005.
His responsibility was to review new development and existing structure improvement plans prior to the city issuing building permits.
His decisions were based on the Sanibel Plan which established guidelines for island development with the object of residents living in harmony with nature. In those 26 years he served under six City Managers.
One highlight was his serving on the committee that oversaw the building of the new bridges on the Sanibel Causeway which opened in September of 2007. Bruce is responsible for bringing the rail design which allows a view of the water.
Bruce was secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation from 2006-2009. He was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Committee of the Islands.
Bruce enjoyed riding his bike around the island paths, observing the natural habitat. He was a baseball coach for his kids who grew up on the island and was proud to follow his son Danny’s football career at Purdue and Christina’s swimming competitions. And he doted on his grandkid’s achievements and interests.
After his retirement he refinished the exterior of their home in Gumbo Limbo, including rebuilding the front and back stairs. He, of course, got all the proper building permits.
He and Joan moved to Cypress Cove in 2019. He always enjoyed learning about the young people who worked there, and he encouraged them to pursue their dreams and continue their education.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Bruce’s memory to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (sccf.org).