He was born on July 6, 1918, in Newton, Massachusetts, the only child of John J. and Genevieve Clark Rogers. Jake’s mother died in the influenza pandemic in 1919, and he spent his early childhood in the care of his grandparents, Henry M. and Mary Collins Clark of Springfield, Massachusetts, and his father, of New York City. When he was 12, Jake moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he lived with his aunt and uncle, Dr. and Mrs. Emil Novak, and their children.
Jake graduated from the Gilman School in Baltimore in 1936 and from Princeton University in 1940. He majored in psychology and was a member of the Cap and Gown Club.
After college, Jake enlisted in the Navy. When he heard the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he transferred to Naval Aviation and served as a flight instructor throughout the war. He continued his service in the Navy Reserve and retired as a Lieutenant Commander.
He married Anne (Nancy) Cleland Read of Baltimore on July 9, 1948, and in 1950 they moved to Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where they raised their daughters. He joined Henry M. Clark Co., the real estate and insurance firm that his grandfather had started in Springfield, and made the business his career.
Family and friends, music, sailing, skiing, tennis, and running were foremost in Jake’s life. He was a founder of the Field Club of Longmeadow, served on the board of the Wesson Memorial Hospital in Springfield, and was active for many years on Princeton’s Schools and Scholarships Committee.
Jake is survived by his wife of 63 years; daughter Amy R. Rogers; daughter Anne C. R. Leslie and her husband, Seaver Leslie; and three granddaughters: Genevieve, Marion, and Frances Leslie, all of Wiscasset.
A musical memorial will be held at 3pm Saturday, February 25, at the Holden Frost House in Topsham. Burial will be private. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Gilman School, 5407 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, 21210, or to a charity important to you. Arrangements are in care of the Brackett Funeral Home, 29 Federal Street, Brunswick, ME. Condolences can be expressed at www.brackettfuneralhome.com.
obits@timesrecord.com
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