Rogers McAvoy, 83 years, a resident of Helvetia, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2011. He was the third of six children of Ellis McAvoy and Carolyn McIntosh McAvoy. Rogers was born on December 28, 1927 in Pleasant Ridge, Webster County, WV. A 1945 graduate of Grafton High School, he served two years in the US Navy, then went on to pursue a PhD from Indiana University in Counseling and Psychology. After thirty-five years of teaching and research at West Virginia University, he retired as a Professor Emeritus in January 1997. He has spent his retirement years in Helvetia, WV (known there as “The Professor”) pursuing his passion of family genealogy and West Virginia history. He will be dearly missed by his three children and three grandchildren and by the many others who he taught and inspired.
A formal Celebration of Rogers McAvoy’s life will be hosted by his family on Saturday April 2nd, 2011 at the Helvetia Community Hall starting at 12 noon.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations in the name of Rogers McAvoy to the Helvetia Public Library, C/o Bruce Cressler, P.O. Box 15, Helvetia, WV 26224. The Tomblyn Funeral Home of Elkins is in charge of the arrangements for Rogers McAvoy.
