Bertram Henry Rogers

Bertram Henry Rogers, aged 33, passed away on September 2, 2025.

“Toto Bert” was born and raised in Chicago, IL. The youngest, more eclectic of two, Bert’s observations, curiosity and intellect grew into a wide range of interests and hobbies. With a steady consumption of audio books, podcasts and all things YouTube, he was a history buff (with a special interest in military history and the Spanish civil war), guitar player, trumpeter, vocalist, IT specialist, handyman, property manager, poet, pop culture consumer and analyst, video gamer, and of course, a car enthusiast. He had a detail-oriented, engineer’s mind and an impressive understanding of complex structures and systems. He was our Google before Google.

With a healthy dose of cynicism and sarcasm, Bert’s sense of humor lifted us all. His contagious laugh rang loud and far. Even if we were having a bad day, he always found a way to get us to crack a smile. He saw the hilarity of life’s awkward moments and took great pleasure in making an awkward situation even more awkward.

Bert was a gentle and sensitive soul who unconditionally loved his family. He was, more often than not, the hero who saved the day by doing what needed to be done or by being present. He was generous with his time, and with his assumptions about others. He was ready to help his family, friends and colleagues in any way that he could. Bert was fun to talk to and be around - a conversation with him left you feeling heard and seen.

A light in our family has gone out too soon, but Bert’s light will never be replaced and will never be forgotten. He is survived by his parents, May and Jerry; his sister and brother-in-law, Rebecca and Derek; and his niece, Myriam.

To celebrate Bert’s life there will be visitations on Wednesday September 17 and Thursday September 18 from 3-8pm at Malec & Sons Funeral Home (6000 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL). We will take time at 6:30pm for Words of Remembrance on both evenings.

The funeral service will take place on Saturday, September 20 at the Church of God in Mt Carroll, Illinois (816 S Clay St, Mt Carroll, IL). Visitation will begin at 1pm, the funeral service at 2pm with the interment at Woodland Brethren Cemetery (19431 Elizabeth Rd, Mt Carroll, IL) immediately following. Reception back at the Church of God to follow.