Harold Thomas Rogers ”Let me move along for the road never ends” January 10, 1953 – March 5, 2026 Harold T. Rogers of New Egypt, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 5, 2026, surrounded by his family after living with pancreatic cancer for almost a decade. Harold, “Hal,” was both a solitary person and a family man. His wife and family knew him best and deeply loved him for it. He was a one-of-a-kind individual characterized by his strength and integrity, with great love and fierce protection for his wife and family, extraordinary resilience in the face of suffering, and a sense of humor that kept everyone around him laughing. Well known for his love of technology and his mechanical mind, Hal had an extensive knowledge of machines that his family, friends, colleagues, and customers came to rely on, including his work on component redesign for many Six Flags Great Adventure roller coasters. Above all, he lived for and was most proud of his wife, his children, and his work. His steadiness, reliability, humor, and unwavering work ethic, which he passed on to his children, are key parts of his legacy. Born in Philadelphia on January 10, 1953, Harold Thomas Rogers was the first of four children born to Harold Edward Rogers, a second-generation Portuguese American, and Laura Stella Barnak, a second-generation Polish American. He grew up in the post–World War II era and spent part of his childhood in Japan. His love of machines began at an early age through his father’s enlistment in the Air Force, where he observed aircraft and developed a lasting passion for aeronautics. While still a teenager, he went to work to help support his parents and his three younger siblings. His childhood nickname was “Big Chief,” reflecting his strong personality and presence. Hal met his beloved wife, MaryEllen Marshall, when he was twenty-three. They married in 1980 and moved to Wagener, South Carolina, where he took the role of plant and people manager with The Roller Bearing Company of America, a Newark-based company and a major precision-bearing manufacturer. Hal and MaryEllen welcomed their first child, Adam Thomas, in 1981 in Aiken, South Carolina. The following year, the couple moved home to New Jersey to Success Road in New Egypt. In 1983, their daughter Rachael Corin was born. In 1987, their daughter Abigail Lorraine was born, and in 1989 their youngest child, Hannah Elisabeth, was born. For more than thirty years, Harold built a career with the family-owned shop Townsend Machine in Chesterfield, New Jersey, a company well known for producing advanced machined components for specialized applications, including aircraft parts. He was respected for his mechanical skill and industry expertise, and he cherished his lifelong friendship with the founder, Bart Townsend Sr. Throughout his life, Hal loved music, beautiful machines, and time spent in his garage workshop, fixing, designing, and making something better. He had a special connection with animals where every family pet truly became his. He would spend long evenings after work, rain or shine, hiking with his dog. Later in life, he greatly admired and appreciated his Siberian cats. With his wife, he loved nature and exploring the mountains and woods of New England. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016, Hal endured years of surgeries and treatments with remarkable strength, maintaining hope and trust in modern medicine and the medical teams at Capital Health Hopewell and Memorial Sloan Kettering. He was deeply grateful for the support of his family, especially his wife, MaryEllen, and his daughters, who were his advocates and constant source of encouragement. Amid even the hardest of times, he and his family still found ways to laugh. In his final months, Hal faced serious infections and medical complications with his character resilience that continued to astound everyone around him, displaying the same determination and work ethic that defined his life and for which he will always be remembered. Harold is predeceased by his father, Harold E. Rogers; his son, Adam T. Rogers; and his brother, David P. Rogers. He is survived by his wife, MaryEllen (Marshall) Rogers; his children Rachael Rogers, Abigail Rogers (with Kelly Fitch), and Hannah Rogers (with Christopher Torres); his mother, Laura S. Rogers; his sister, Marlene A. Mertz, his brother, Mark J. Rogers; and his grandchildren Aidan, Kayleigh, Charlotte, Elsie, Liam, and Ella. Services for Harold are being held privately per the family’s wishes. All arrangements are being held under the direction of Tilghman Funeral Home in New Egypt, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network). http://support.pancan.org/goto/HaroldRogers