Marjorie J. McTaggart

Marjorie McTaggart, traveler, teacher, counselor, pilot and writer extraordinaire, finished her earthly adventures on Monday, April 7, 2014. Her experiences began in Mercer County, Missouri, where she was born on July 2, 1920 to Nannie Duncan Rogers and Don C. Rogers. Even at the age of ten, Marjorie was sampling adventures when her mom put her and two of her brothers, age two and six on a train to Lineville, Iowa. They arrived at 2 a.m., in the dark and without anyone to meet them. The station master gave them a lantern and they started walking with dark shadows lurking all around. One foot in front of the other, holding hands, the lantern swaying back and forth, they watched the shadows move. They did finally make their destination and, somehow, that travel instinct took hold. After high school, Marjorie entered Chicago Teachers College and focused on kindergarten and primary education. A Fulbright scholarship took her to Spain and the travel bug sank its teeth into her and wouldn’t let go. She took flying lessons at the Palwaukee Airport in Illinois in a two-seater that put her in front and the instructor in the back. The only means of communication was a joystick that would shake the wings. Since she wasn’t licensed yet, he took off from the airport and, once out of range, she took over. The afternoon was spent buzzing her parents’ house and ‘stunting’ in which the plane went into a complete roll. She continued to fly until in the 1980s when cost grounded her. After she finished college, she began her first career as a passenger agent for Eastern Airlines. She loved the job and, particularly, hearing the exploits of customers. She made a vow that she would join their ranks. And indeed she did. In 1950, with $100 in her purse, she took off for Peru by herself, planning to stay until the money ran out – she figured that would last about a month. But when she arrived, she was soon offered a job at the State Department’s local American school. Kids in her class came from 12 different countries and, witnessing cultural conflicts, she quickly became a diplomat as she worked to reconcile differences. One month turned into three years. In 1953, she returned to Chicago with expanded views and a Spanish language fluency. But there was that void she couldn’t quite define and knew it would require more travel and adventure to fill. She was hired by Form Fit, a company that designed women’s undergarments. She traveled the U.S. and taught sales people about promotions but, after a year, she applied to go into the export field. Her international travels began anew: Mexico, Panama, Havana. She later switched jobs, going with Maidenform and, in this new position, sometimes logged 100,000 miles a year. Marjorie had some very interesting sales encounters including a meeting in Panama where she met General Juan Peron’s mistress (and later, second wife), Isabella. And then there was the time at a French embassy party when she had a roof-top encounter with the secret service. She traveled for business for five weeks and followed by one she took off on her own so she could explore as a random traveler. In one such week in the Cayman Islands, a vacation romance grabbed her heart and led her to the altar. But her husband was a merchant marine and she was a traveling sales lady so their time together was limited. She gave birth to their son, Phillip, in 1957 and the couple later divorced. She returned to Chicago where she finished her master’s degree. Then Colorado State University offered her a job over the phone. She and the then eight-year-old Phillip threw their cat and belongings in the car and took off in a rainstorm. They arrived safely, set up house and began a new life. After teaching Spanish for five years and completing all but her dissertation for a doctoral degree, she reassessed her life. Phillip was 13 and growing quickly. She wanted to make sure she was there for every one of his activities and growth spurts. One again, she changed careers, looking for stability and shorter work hours that came with a social work job with Larimer County. In 1975, she took a job as a vocational counselor with the State of Colorado and, finally, in 1986, she retired. Phillip had become well-known as a sculptor during that time but, tragically, at the age of 29, he died in a vehicle accident. As Marjorie struggled with her loss, she continued to write and looked for a cause where she could right a wrong. She found it as a senior advocate and spent many hours working for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, the Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board (she held secretary, vice chair and chair offices), the Senior Center Council, TRIAD and a host of others. Marjorie helped form “Seniors Airborne,” a radio station that ran on KCOL for several years and focused on senior issues. She was the inspiration and co-founder of the Slightly Older Adult Players (SOAP Troupe) a theater group that continues to delight audiences to this day. She was the instigator of the Older Women’s Gathering for the 1999 United Nations International year of Older Persons. Marjorie spent several years as a columnist for the Fort Collins Coloradoan and published a book of essays titled “Views from the Far Side of the Hill.” She had recently completed another book “Blonde in a Brunette Country” which will still be published in the future. Marjorie will be terribly missed by her friends who enjoyed her wit and her constant energy. She was preceded in death by her son, Phillip, her brothers, Don Jr, and Walter. She is survived by her brother, Robert (Marie) Rogers in Florida; her niece, Cathy Rogers McCoy in Texas; nephew, Richard Rogers of Madison, WI; sister-in-law, Fran Rogers (wife of Walter) as well as a number of nieces and nephews. Donations in Marjorie’s name may be made to the Foothills Unitarian Church, the Fort Collins Senior Center, or the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado. Memorial service is pending.

Marjorie J. McTaggart

July 2, 1920 - April 7, 2014