ROGERS, Harry Gordon

It is with heavy hearts that the family announces the passing of Harry Gordon Rogers, cherished husband and best friend of Micheline Ouellette-Rogers. Harry went peacefully, surrounded by family in his Ottawa home on February 13th, 2017. He was 85 years old.

Harry will be affectionately remembered by his children and their spouses: L. Suzanne Rogers (Audie Armourer), Donald Rogers (Marilen McIntyre), Julia Berg (Shelly), Alan Rogers, Bruce Rogers (Amanda Cantello), Jeane Rogers (Jack Lavin), Tanya Tulipan (George Kanellakos), Kim Tulipan (Daniel Le Bouthillier). He is predeceased by his mother, Ethel Pearl Gilmour, his father, Lionel Trueman Rogers, sister Margaret Mary Howey, infant son John and grandson Jonathan. Harry is survived by eleven grandchildren, Leslie Lind, (John), Melissa Richards, Dylan Fraser, Patrick Rogers, Laura Everson (Clint), Kristy Rogers, Jeremy MacLeod (Rena), Jaya Lavin, Liam George Kanellakos, Madeleine Kim Kanellakos and Constance Henriette Le Bouthillier, as well as three great-grandchildren, William and Aulora Rodriguez and Haley Richards. He is survived also by his brother William Rogers (Mary) and in-laws and good friends, Pierre and Marie-Paule Déry-Ouellette and Francine Ouellette.

Born in Toronto and raised in Barrie, Ontario, Harry was a 1954 graduate and Economic gold medalist from the University of Western Ontario. He was selected as Western's delegate to the World University Service of Canada's seminar in India, in the summer of 1953. In his senior year, he was elected Prefect of the Arts and Science Student Council and was elected a member of the Arts and Science Honour Society and the University Honour Society.

His long, storied career spanned over five decades and included significant contributions in both private enterprise and the public service, where his work in service of Canada impacted many through responsible policy-making. Harry took great pride in his government work where, from 1978 to 1995, he served as a senior Deputy Minister in the Government of Canada. He was recruited to government at the urging of the Auditor General to create a new Deputy Minister position, Comptroller General of Canada, responsible for improving financial management across the federal government and to find the first appointee from the ranks of the Canadian business community.

After six successful years in this assignment, Harry went to Revenue Canada – Taxation as Deputy Minister, before eventually becoming Deputy Minister of the newly-created Department of Industry, Science and Technology, where he helped shape its mandate and functions. In this last appointment, he served as Secretary of the Prime Minister's National Advisory Board on Science and Technology. He was a Member of the Research Advisory Committee of The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, a Director of the Business Development Bank of Canada, a Director of the Niagara Institute and a founding Director of the Public Policy Forum.

Harry was Canadian Chairman of National Quality Month in October, 1988, which led to the creation of Canada’s own annual quality recognition awards system and the creation of the National Quality Institute. He served on the Board of the Ottawa General Hospital for nine years, four of them as Board Chair.

His achievement in the private sector began in 1954, when he worked for the Ford Motor Company, serving in financial executive posts in Canada, Singapore, South Africa and Dearborn, Michigan. He was General Manager of Ford Motor Company of Japan from 1967 to 1969. In that capacity, he assisted in the start-up of Hyundai in the automotive business, as an assembler and distributor of Ford products in the South Korean market.

Harry subsequently joined Xerox Corporation in 1969, as Assistant Controller in its U.S. operations based in Rochester, NY, and subsequently became Manager of International Financial Operations at world headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. He was a senior Vice-President of Xerox of Canada at the time of his appointment in the Government of Canada.

His private sector contributions culminated between 1995 and 2000, when, following his retirement from government service, he was CEO of Precarn Inc., an industrial consortium performing collaborative research in robotics and intelligent systems. During this time, he was also a Board member of the Canadian Centre for Marine Communications of St. John's NL., and a member of the Board of Directors of Aerospatiale Canada Inc., now EADS Canada. He was a member of the Board of Directors of GasTOPS Limited, an Ottawa high tech company, for seventeen years beginning in 1998, eleven of them as Board Chair.

Harry and Micheline enjoyed a deeply happy life together in their Ottawa home and at their cottage on Lady Lake, in pleasurable get-togethers with family and friends and in numerous visits with their grandchildren, Liam and Madeleine Kanellakos and Constance Henriette Le Bouthillier. They wintered in Nerja, Spain for many years and travelled in the U.S., Latin America and the Far East together. There were Christmases in Hawaii and vacations in Europe and Aruba with Tanya and Kim; travels in Japan and to Bali, Fiji and the Solomon Islands with Kim; vacations in Portugal, rivers cruises to Amsterdam/ Budapest and in Russia and cruising in the Mediterranean, all with good friends Ann and Bernard MacIsaac. There were memorable visits to Halifax and Greece with the extended Kanellakos family; and several very happy jazz cruises out of Miami with Julia, Shelly and Francine.

A constant in Harry’s life was his love of modern music, particularly jazz. He played piano for many years and his love of music is one of his legacies to his families. A man of great integrity, generosity and kindness, Harry was loved by all who had the honour of knowing him. His thoughtful guidance, empathy and infectious smile will be greatly missed.

The family would like to express our deep gratitude for the amazing and extremely competent care Harry received from Dr. Jason Pantarotto and Dr. Neel Chadha. Special thanks to Community Care Access Centre staff, whose warmth and wonderful care contributed to making his last few months comfortable and peaceful.

Friends are invited to visit the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave. (east of Vanier Parkway) Ottawa on Thursday February 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday February 1,7 after 10 a.m. Funeral Service will be held Friday in the Sacred Space at 11a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre or to Amnesty International.