PORT TOWNSEND — Patience Rogge, 78, a noted community volunteer and long-time resident, has died.
Rogge was admitted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on May 14 for treatment of an illness and died there Saturday, a Harborview spokeswoman confirmed.
She is survived by her husband, David Rogge, of Port Townsend, and daughters Rachel Rogge and Michelle Rogge.
Rogge directed the Fort Worden Oral History Program, served on the board of the Fort Worden Conservancy, the Fort Worden Advisory Committee and chaired the Jefferson Higher Education Committee.
She was involved with the Friends of Fort Worden and its oral history program, and was on the board of directors of the Washington Coalition for Open Government until just before her death.
“We were a small young nonprofit without much of a budget,” said Toby Nixon, coalition president, who began working with Rogge in 2005.
Rogge’s experience and connections as a librarian, and her talent for organizing events, helped the organization expand from two or three government forums per year to eight, plus forums and workshops for attorneys who work on both sides of the issue, Nixon said.
Under her planning and networking, libraries across the state became sites to educate the public and government officials on open government law, he said.
She also created the organization’s major awards ceremonies for open government volunteers and those who showed dedication to the concepts
“The first was a stand-up reception at the Seattle Public Library. Now we host 100 at a banquet at the Washington State Convention Center,” Nixon said.
He said that before she retired earlier this year, Rogge created a guidebook to help those who follow with the many contacts, and arrangements that need to be made for each event, and had planned to coach her replacement for six months.
Since her illness, Rogge’s task list was divided among several people.
“Nobody can replace Patience,” Nixon said.
In 2011, she was awarded the coalition’s James Andersen Award for her work in advancing the mission of the coalition.
During her 11 years as a trustee of the Jefferson County Rural Library District, she was active in the Washington Library Association, serving as board member and chair of the Washington Library Friends and Trustees Association and grass-roots interest groups, as well as representing the association on the board of the Pacific Northwest Library Association.
She was also recognized by the American Library Association for her work in advocating for libraries.
Prior to moving to Washington, she was involved in nature education, agricultural land preservation efforts, arts administration, and the California Democratic Party.
She received a bachelor’s degree in American government and a Master of Library Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
