WHEREAS, Joseph Megeath Rogers, M.D., a respected country doctor, passionate conservationist, and skilled competitive horseman who served the Loudoun County community for much of his life, died on March 8, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rogers opened a private practice in Loudoun County after earning a medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1947; the quintessential country doctor, he routinely supported the community by making house calls to patients he knew could not afford to pay for medical care; and

WHEREAS, a respected leader in the field of medicine, Dr. Rogers served as the chief of staff and the chief of the emergency room at Loudoun Memorial Hospital, and he worked to ensure the health of his fellow residents by volunteering his time on several medical boards, foundations, and organizations; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rogers was a highly successful businessman; he was a co-owner of Wilkins Rogers Mills, a former owner of Loudoun County Milling Company, a former director of Farmers & Merchants National Bank and Earthworks, Inc., and an initial investor in the Leesburg Today newspaper; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rogers lived on his thriving 1,200-acre farm, Hillbrook Farm, where he bred beef cattle, produced hay and other crops, and developed his racing stock; an expert on productive farming, he understood the changes facing the industry as the once-rural areas of Northern Virginia developed and grew; and

WHEREAS, deeply committed to the preservation and conservation of the area's rural countryside and agriculture industry, Dr. Rogers gave his knowledge and wise leadership to numerous boards, committees, and civic organizations addressing those issues; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rogers led efforts to promote conservation initiatives and helped develop the Rural Economic Development zone in Loudoun County; he was instrumental in the creation of the Goose Creek Historic District and made many contributions to Morven Park; and

WHEREAS, widely admired as an owner, trainer, and rider of some of the Commonwealth's most successful steeplechase horses, Dr. Rogers retired the prestigious Virginia Gold Cup with three different horses, including the well-known King of Spades; and

WHEREAS, as the founder of the Virginia Steeplechase Association and what was then known as the United States Combined Training Association—the nation's Olympic equine sports training organization—Dr. Rogers made countless contributions to equine sports at local, state, and national levels; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rogers also lent his medical expertise and leadership to the veterinary field as a pioneer of aerobic training for racehorses, which increases a horse's endurance and overall health; and

WHEREAS, receiving many awards and accolades, including the Man of the Year award from the Loudoun Times Mirror in the 1990s, Dr. Rogers was a humble and selfless man who made his contributions to the community and his professional peers without fanfare and with no expectation of reward; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Rogers will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Donna; children, Marilyn, Joseph, Jr., and Elizabeth, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and people whose lives he touched; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Joseph Megeath Rogers, M.D., physician, farmer, horseman, and iconic member of the Loudoun County community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Joseph Megeath Rogers, M.D., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.