Joanne Rogers, widow of the famed children’s television host Fred Rogers, is dead at the age of 92, the nonprofit her late husband founded announced Thursday.
Joanne Rogers was married to Fred Rogers for more than 50 years until his death in 2003 from stomach cancer. She worked as the chair emerita of Fred Rogers Productions following her husband's death, the company said Thursday.
“Joanne was a brilliant and accomplished musician, a wonderful advocate for the arts, and a dear friend to everyone in our organization,” Fred Rogers Productions said. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Joanne’s family and the thousands of people who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.”
The couple met while Fred Rogers was attending Rollins College in Florida and stayed in touch after he moved to New York City for a producer's assistant job. Joanne Rogers told NBC’s “Today” show in 2018 that her husband proposed in a letter while she was in her last year at Florida State.
