Jane “Janie” Helen (Laski) Rogers, 74, passed peacefully on April 27, 2019, at Laurel Manor Care Center following a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.
She was born in Manchester, New Hampshire on March 21, 1945, one of five children to the late Stella Catherine (Lazzar) Laski and Stanley Peter Laski, who were both first generation Polish-American.
She resided in numerous locations along on the east coast before retiring in Colorado Springs, Colorado with her brother Stephen Laski.
She attended elementary and middle school in Manchester, New Hampshire; Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia; Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC; and George Washington University in Washington, DC where she took courses towards a BA degree in Anthropology.
Her first marriage to Mr. Jerry Cummings brought the birth of her daughter, Catherine Jane.
She had a second marriage to Mr. Daniel Rogers, her partner in life for 14 years.
She spent her life working in the hospitality industry as she loved interacting with people, planning parties, and ensuring a good time for all. She was also the owner of Saint Jane Lingerie in Georgetown, Washington, DC and a Real Estate Agent in Virginia.
Janie had many hobbies and interests.
She was passionate about art. She painted beautiful visual displays of flowers and enjoyed taking pictures with an artsy flair; many of Janie’s paintings and photographs are on display in relatives’ homes.
She had a strong love for animals. In her adult years she lovingly cared for eight dogs named Brighty of Brighton Square; Valkyrie; Brighty II; Bear; Stella; Cobalt; Stanley and Poppy. She also rescued a cat named Blackie and adopted two parrots named Rug Rat and Nollie.
As a movie enthusiast, she would have what she called a "movie marathon", where she would spend the entire day at the cinema watching movies consecutively; which suited her well as she disliked being out in the sun.
She loved to dine out; eating at home was not the option of choice for her. Her favorite eat-out comfort foods were ham and swiss subs, pepperoni pizza, BLTs, cheeseburgers, chocolate ice cream, brownies, and movie-theatre buttered popcorn. Of course, she also enjoyed fine dining and always complimented her dinner with a glass of red or white wine.
She was a self-professed shopaholic, finding great joy in shopping and gift giving. She never missed the chance to show her affection to family and friends, whether it be through a simple handwritten note inside the cover of a book, a bouquet of flowers she arranged perfectly in a vase, a beautifully wrapped gift, or just a simple household item she found while on one of her shopping sprees. Her generosity was inspiring.
She enjoyed spending time planting and watering her garden. Her incredible outdoor flower and plant displays won her the neighborhood gardening award.
She was also an adventurer and explorer who loved to travel. She enjoyed Harley Davidson motorcycle trips, scuba diving in the Caribbean, European vacations, and ocean cruises.
But she most enjoyed being a loving grandmother and spending time with her beloved grandchildren. She would take them to Chuck-E-Cheese, amusement parks, movies, shopping, on walks with her dogs, boardwalk arcades, and often traveled with them on her daughters’ business trips. She celebrated their birthdays and holidays in an excessive and lavish manner. In general, Janie loved life and lived it to the fullest!
She was previously a member of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manchester, New Hampshire and Saint Francis Polish National Catholic Church in Washington, DC.
Janie was preceded in death by her parents Stanley and Stella Laski; and brothers John Laski, Daniel Laski, and Frederick Laski.
She is survived by her daughter Catherine vanVonno and son-in-law Tim vanVonno of Ocean City, Maryland; brother Stephen Laski of Colorado Springs, Colorado; step-son Dean “Dino” Rogers of Frederick, Maryland; grandchildren Timmy vanVonno, Christina vanVonno, Cassidy vanVonno, and Chelsea vanVonno all of Ocean City, Maryland; nieces Coral Laski (Stephen's daughter) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Anastasia Laski (John's daughter) of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Elida Laski (John's daughter) of Boston, Mass; nephews Rhoman Laski (Stephen's son) of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Justin Laski (Stephen's son) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; cousins Tim DiVenuti, John DiVenuti, Linda Rousseau, Larry DiVenuti, and Eddie DiVenuti all of New Hampshire.
A lifelong friend and daughter's Godmother also survives her; Helene Witt of Jerusalem, Israel.
A service in her honor will be held on Friday, May 17th, from 10:00-11: 30 am at J.N. Boufford & Sons Funeral Home, 110 Bridge St., Manchester NH 03101. Committal prayers will follow at 12:00 Noon at Holy Trinity Cathedral Cemetery, Goffstown Rd., Goffstown, New Hampshire.
For more information and online guestbook please visit www.bouffordfuneralhome.com.