Maro Kouyoumjian Rogers
Maro Kouyoumjian Rogers, having blended her upbringing in the Middle East with her adopted home in South Carolina, died October 23, 2026. She was born September 10, 1931, in Fallujah, Iraq, the daughter of Armenian Christian parents. Her early schooling at home was in Ramadi, Hindiya Barrage, and Abu Graib, where her father worked as resident engineer on irrigation projects – “making the desert bloom.”
When the family settled in Baghdad, Maro enrolled in the American School for Girls. Upon graduation in 1953, she was awarded a scholarship by Dr. Wright Spears, president of Columbia College. She made friends from across South Carolina, talking to church groups and visiting classmates on holidays.
After graduating in 1956, Maro taught English and history at Lexington High School. That year she met 1st Lt. Harmon Hugh Rogers, Fort Jackson Office of the Staff Judge Advocate. They were married November 11, 1956, shortly before his assignment to Korea. Dr. Spears officiated.
After teaching at Lexington High School and then the High School of Charleston, Maro and Hugh returned to Lexington. She established the Little Red Schoolhouse kindergarten, and for 43 years started youngsters on the path to successful careers and good citizenship. She was involved with the Lexington Women’s Club, Friends of the Lexington Library, Friends of the Lexington County Museum, Mt. Horeb Methodist Church, the Lexington Cotillion, and Les Bons Amis.
In 1976, Maro was elected to Lexington Town Council. She served 21 years, including some as mayor pro tem. A fiscal conservative, she was frequently the top vote-getter in elections. She was presented the Order of the Palmetto when she retired.
While growing up in Baghdad, she and her sister, Aida, were fascinated by Americans they observed in social settings. President Truman’s “Point Four” program brought Americans to Iraq’s capital city. Two were Ruth Butler of Pelion and Betty Waite of Camden, who later married Bernard Manning, Columbia attorney. Small world.
Maro loved Columbia’s Main Street, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. She wrote letters to the editor of the city’s newspapers for years, informing the public of the “First Genocide of the 20th Century,” the slaughter of Christian Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. Her mother was a survivor.
Maro is survived by her husband, Hugh Rogers, daughters Myda Tompkins (Jiggs Tompkins, deceased) of Columbia, Aida Rogers (Dr. Wally Peters, deceased) of Columbia, Margot Parrott (Steve) of Charlotte, North Carolina, and son, Clifton Rogers (Pat) of Lexington. Her grandchildren are Margaret Tompkins, Rian Tompkins Steffens (Charlie), Charlotte Parrott, Paige Parrott O’Brien (Patrick), Maddison Rogers, step-granddaughter Ariel Smith (Lee); two great-granddaughters, Margot and Julia O’Brien, and three step-great-grandsons, Rohan, Asa, and Asher Smith. In addition she is survived by her four nephews, Armen, Brian, and Roger Shanafelt and their families, Shawn Rogers and his family, and niece Kimberly Rogers and her son, Julian.
Maro was predeceased by her parents, Mannig Dobajian Kouyoumjian and Mardiros Kouyoumjian, sister Aida Kouyoumjian, brother Setrak Kouyoumjian, and an infant brother, Hagop Kouyoumjian.
A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. November 15, 2026, at Lexington United Methodist Church, 309 East Main Street. A reception will follow in Wesley Hall. Memorials are suggested for the Columbia College Loyalty Fund, 1301 Columbia College Drive, Columbia, SC, 29203, https://www.columbiasc.edu/koala-community/alumni/give.
The family would like to thank Shay’na Davis with Still Hopes Solutions for Living at Home for her care in recent months. A full obituary is available at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/lexington-sc.
