Susan Rogers died peacefully in her home on April 21 after fighting a four-year battle with cancer. She was 71.

Susan was born in Stoneham on May 10, 1949. She grew up in Arlington and spent summers on the Vineyard with her family in a campground Cottage. She loved the Island.

Susan graduated from Arlington High School, and continued her education at Newton Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing. She graduated as a Registered Nurse, which she continued to be for her lifetime.

Susan worked as an emergency room nurse in Waltham Hospital until permanently moving to Martha’s Vineyard. She worked at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in the emergency room and a lot of other departments where she met many people who still remember her today.

On August 2, 1975, Susan married her beloved husband Jerome E. “Jerry” Rogers. It was 107 degrees in the church that evening and the candles were melting from the heat. She always said that day that she and Jerry not only married, they melted together.

Susan retired from nursing around 1979, but returned to work part time at Windemere. She loved being a nurse and mostly loved the patient care part of the profession.

She was always kind, compassionate, caring and put others before herself. She loved her family and touched the heart of anyone who ever met her, even if it was only for a few moments.

Susan loved to knit, but not for herself. She knit more than 100 bears for The Mother Bear Project and would pack boxes full of them to be distributed to children in other countries who had lost their parents. She knit prayer shawls for cancer patients before she knew she had cancer. She knit wool hats and slippers for soldiers in the cold mountains in Afghanistan to keep them warm, and many mittens for mitten trees.

She was a truly amazing person, always giving so much and never expecting anything in return.

Susan was predeceased by her parents, Charles and Virginia Skerry. She is survived by her loving husband of almost 45 years Jerome E. Rogers; her son, Andrew N. Rogers of Manchester Conn.; her daughter Julie A. Gales of Belmont N.H., her daughter Amy E. Smith of Oak Bluffs, several grandchildren and her sister Cynthia Dauphinais of Oak Bluffs, along with many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. In Lieu of flowers, send donations to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard PO Box 1748, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.

Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Oak Bluffs. Visit ccgfuneralhome.com to leave a message of condolence.