Ted and the family ran the business.
Rogers Communications Inc. was a part of the growth of the company.
The photo is from the National Post.
A matriarch, a business partner, a philanthropist, an artist, and a socialite were some of the roles that were taken on by Loretta Rogers. She was a mother who was very proud of her children and husband who died.
Rogers, who died Saturday at the age of 83, was a key figure in the growth of Rogers Communications Inc., the cable and telecommunications giant built by her husband of 45 years.
Her philanthropy was well known and she was often by Ted at corporate functions. She came from money and quiet power and sat on the board of Rogers for decades as well as holding a key seat on the family trust that controls it.
She was involved in a family and corporate feud over control of Rogers, which came as the telecom giant sought to complete its largest and boldest transaction: the $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc.
A home of wealth was where Loretta Anne Robinson was born. Her father was a British member of Parliament and her mother was an American. According to the biography on the Rogers company, High Wire Act, she grew up between her family homes in the Bahamas andBermuda.
The two met at a dinner party in 1957 and married in 1963. The woman who spoke her mind at home quickly made it a point to calm Ted's temper and keep him away from home life.
Ted Rogers ran the business and the family did the same thing.
One of her most difficult years was when she died.
The photo was taken by REUTERS
It was at her request that her father helped finance Ted. Six months after their wedding, he advanced her $450,000. The telecom founder's life partner was also a business partner.
One of her most difficult years was when she passed away.
Her family had been divided due to a feud between her son and the rest of the family. Even after an uneasy truce was reached, the transformational Shaw deal that would have been the crowning victory for the company her husband had scrappily built despite repeated brushes with insolvency was thrown into jeopardy.
Even though there were signs of reconciliation in recent months, her role on the board and the family trust that controls the company made her the center of attention.
She accused her son Edward of violating the wishes of his late father by replacing independent company directors without calling a meeting of all shareholders. There was a fight between Edward and the Rogers-Hixon family over who should be in charge of the company. In her affidavit, filed with The British Columbia Supreme Court, she accused Edward of acting against independent directors who tried to stop him from acting as defacto CEO of Rogers.
There is a building in Toronto.
The photo was taken by Carlos Osorio.
She later issued a statement saying she had been misled by her son and that she had changed her mind.
Edward, chair of the family trust, was the one who got the court to back his choice for a new CEO. The issues will not be pushed further to keep the focus on the Shaw transaction.
Edward started his speech at the annual meeting by thanking his mother. A long list of senior executives and new board members were thanked by him.
Edward said he and his sisters were devastated for an amazing woman who had an incredible strength of character. She will be missed by her children and those who knew her.
The Shaw transaction is still up in the air despite the quieting of the family and corporate feuds. It is thought that the uncertainty surrounding the acquisition would not have been well thought out.
The company said after her passing that she devoted herself to keeping his vision alive and making Rogers the best it could be.
Rob Prichard told the Financial Post that she lived a long and consequential life.
He said that Lorretta was a grand matriarch and a central figure in the Rogers family's success and prominence.
Despite being married to one of Ted's cousins, Gar Emerson, a former independent chair of the Rogers board who left in 2006 after a surprise falling out with the founder, still remembered Loretta as a witty and happy person.
She was able to bring out the best of Ted. He said that she was an important part of his business accomplishments.
Bshecter@nationalpost.com is the email address.
The email address is shughes@postmedia.
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