REV. FRED ROGERS 1928-2003

REV. FRED ROGERS 1928-2003
by Timothy Rollins, Editor and Publisher

February 28, 2003

Rev. Fred Rogers (1928-2003) (AP) In a day and age where all that's good seems to be drowned out by the crass and crude, along comes someone whose message of good and simple caring for one another reaches across and inspires generations of children and adults alike. And when that voice is silenced - for whatever reason, it happens all too soon as it was with the passing of Fred Rogers (right) of "Mister Rogers Neighborhood", who died Thursday of cancer at his Pittsburgh home at age 74.

Like just about everybody else, I too, have my memories of Mister Rogers. He always came into his make believe house on the set, put on his tennis shoes and zip up cardigan sweater and went about sharing his time and always left us with a lesson we could share with others. For that was always his intent. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he knew the scriptural counsel that eloquently states "and a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6) - and lead the little children did as they brought their parents to the television sets to share Mister Rogers with their Moms and Dads.

Always a good sport, Fred knew his television persona would be the butt of jokes, perhaps the best known of which was Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live doing a "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood" spoof that Fred found hilarious. I saw the same episode and found it laugh-out-loud funny myself.

Back in 1986, while living in California and attending a Young Single Adult congregation, I was assigned the lesson for the Monday Family Home Evening. For those who aren't Latter-day Saints, we of the faith put aside Monday nights (or other night if there's a work or other fixed commitment) to be with our families. In this case, with a bunch of young singles, we use the night to be with each other for an evening of a fairly brief lesson, food and socializing. This was done at the Bishop's home, and given that my humor has a somewhat twisted side, I decided to take a run at "Mister Rollins' Neighborhood". When word got out that I was going to be 'creative' with the lesson, people who normally didn't show up for this decided to come. What they had absolutely no idea of was the approach I was going to take.

Given that Mister Rogers was a childhood hero of sorts, I decided to both go easy on him, yet have some fun on this theme nonetheless. I assembled the props, zipper sweater, shoes and all. I even had Amy Hansen on the piano if memory serves and the lyrics down pat. She was the only one in on the gig. Poor Bishop Murray - he knew me well enough to expect the unexpected and that often scared him half to death.

Anyway, the night of the lesson came, and it went off without a hitch. The lesson matter was approached in a simplistic "Mister Rogers" fashion in order to break the ice before going into the substance of it, and that led to a discussion the group had going for over an hour, followed by a humorous yet equally simplistic "Mister Rogers" fashion style of close before adjourning to having some food. That evening had a record turnout and had been one of the best evenings we had in the nearly two years I lived there.

And so it was throughout his life with Fred Rogers. He taught throughout it - both on his television series and in his ministry, with his concert pianist wife Joanne, their two sons and two grandsons at his side. In humor and out, he even came out of retirement to instruct parents to help them better explain 9-11 to their children when replays of the attacks were shown on the one-year anniversary of that fateful day.

Thinking of others throughout his life - such was the life and legacy of Fred Rogers. It reminds me of the first part of John 15:13, which states, "Greater love hath no man than this". Such a statement would be most appropriate as an epitaph for such a class act.

Fred now goes on to his heavenly reward for a life well lived in service to the Master - a life so lived through service to his fellowmen, with a special focus on children, often overlooked and sometimes forgotten in the blind and vain ambitions of men.

Take care, our kind and wonderful friend. May God tend you in His kind care and keeping until we meet again. ***

Photo of Timothy Rollins courtesy of staff files
Photo of Fred Rogers courtesy of the Associated Press