Mary Brown Rogers Heritage

Mary Brown Rogers Heritage died peacefully in her apartment at Harmony in Savannah, on February 6, 2025 at the remarkable age of 100. She brought joy to all who met her, greeting the world with a generous smile, a peaceful presence, maybe a song and a curious, encyclopedic mind. She was born in Albany, Georgia on August 28th, 1924 to Judge Hudson Jenkins Malone and Katie Sue Reese Malone. She was graduated from Albany High in 1941 and Wesleyan College in 1945 with a Bachelor’s in Speech and Theater. Mary Brown had a lifelong love of performance, storytelling, recitation of poetry and music. While Mary Brown was a student at Wesleyan she met and fell in love with a young army officer, Captain David Clyde Rogers. She and David were married in March of 1946, after David returned from service in India during WW2. Mary Brown and Dave moved from Albany to Atlanta where they were founding members of Wieuca Road Baptist Church. It was at Wieuca Road that Mary Brown developed a love for teaching children and helping families. She returned to university and was graduated from Georgia State University with a Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology in 1971. Mary Brown and Dave moved to Northern Virginia in 1970 where Dave went on active duty as a Colonel at Selective Service. In 1977, after service in public psychology and counseling, Mary Brown was a founding partner of Vienna Family Therapy Center in Vienna, Virginia, serving children and their families. She had developed a specialty in Play Therapy. Mary Brown suffered a profound loss when Dave died in May of 1978 after a brief battle with cancer. She found solace in her work, her church, international travel, family and friends, and she deepened her commitment to helping others in grief. In 1990 Mary Brown married William Holt Heritage, a member of her Columbia Baptist Sunday School Class, and they enjoyed retirement in Clearwater, Florida. Mary Brown moved back to her home town of Albany in 2005, after Holt’s death, to enjoy her extended family and friends, especially her cousin, Allie Pate. Mary Brown was an active member and on staff at First Methodist as a lay visitor, grief counselor and grief group leader. Mary Brown relished being, as she would say, “In the bosom of her family". She is survived by her three children, Carol Rogers Smith (Clark Weldon, who died September, 2024), Hudson Clyde Rogers, M.D.(Lynn Horres) and Jefferson Rogers, Psy.D (Linda Kiernan). She was a devoted grandmother to four grandchildren, Georgeanna Reese Connors (Michael), Hudson Malone Rogers (Margaret), Alexander Welling Rogers (Brooke), and John Owen Rogers, and two step-grandchildren, Kyle Matthew Jermyn (Erin) and Cori Lee Jermyn, five great-grandchildren, Reese Edward Connors, Riley Weldon Connors, Elizabeth Rutherford Rogers, Mary Frances Welling Rogers and Hudson Doar Rogers, and two step great-grandchildren, Aubree Lynn Jermyn and Maia Annslee Jermyn. Mary Brown moved to Savannah in 2023 and was a member of Christ Church Anglican where she had many friends. She resided at Harmony in Savannah where she was loved and cared for. Saturday, February15th, the family will receive visitors at First Methodist, Albany, Georgia at 10:00am, followed by her funeral and celebration of her life at 11:00am, with internment at Crown Hill Cemetery.

Mary Brown Rogers Heritage

August 28, 1924 - February 6, 2025