To some in Sudbury, Thomas William Jacobson-Rogers was the man in the news, the one who went missing, and was found dead seven days later.
But to the residents of Capreol, Rogers was so much more than that.
He will be remembered most as the face that greeted you with a smile at the Foodland in Capreol. There for conversation, a quick smile, and grateful for any help that he was offered. Rogers was last seen on Sunday, April 3rd. He was found dead on April 10, in a wooded area off of Fairbanks Lake Road. Police do not suspect foul play, and the results of the autopsy will be released only to the family, at their request.
He had been living with his grandparents near there since moving in on March 24, just before his 25th birthday. It was a chance for him to take a break from his routines, currently, living with a roommate and sitting at the Foodland; his mother, Lori, hoping it might be the fresh start he needed.
He will be sadly missed by his grandparents, his mother, his brother, and his beloved cats, Oreo and Malcolm.
He will also be remembered as a fixture in Capreol, so much so that he will be memorialized with a bench near the place he could always be found, the corner of Lakeshore and Young street. There will be a public memorial Saturday, April 16 at noon, in advance of his Apr. 23 funeral.
Julie Elomaa met Thomas when he was 14, just starting out in Grade 9. She and his mother met and became friends, and Elomaa spoke to Sudbury.com on behalf of the family, as they are still in the grips of grief.
She remembers him not only as a teen, but as the bright smiling man greeting everyone at the grocery store. She would bring him whatever she could, when she could, even if it was just conversation. She attributes his struggles to mental health issues, which he endured for a long time with insufficient or non-existent mental health care available to him. Without the treatment or understanding needed to help him manage and even, potentially thrive, he was left to self-medicate. Elomaa said she also believes this led him to let the wrong people into his life, which added influence she feels was detrimental to his health, and part of the reason his family thought it best he move in with his grandparents, with which he agreed.
Elomaa said she, and probably everyone in Capreol, will remember him for the same thing, the smile on his face.
“He was always so happy and chipper,” said Elomaa. “it'd be minus-40 outside and he still had a smile on his face, no matter what the circumstances were he always had a smile on his face.
She said his gratitude also shone through. “Always very grateful that he never expected anything of anybody, he was always very, very appreciative when people would give him something,” said Elomaa. “Whether it be money or meals or whatever was given to him. He was always very, very thankful for it.”
And so, to thank him for his warm smiles, Elomaa, her partner and another neighbour will be building a bench in Rogers’ honour, and placing it in memory of him. The memorial is open to the public, and anyone who would like to make a donation in his name is asked to contribute to the Elgin Street Mission, or to the Capreol Food Bank.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com. She covers the diverse communities of Sudbury, especially the vulnerable or marginalized, including the Black, Indigenous, newcomer and Francophone communities, as well as 2SLGBTQ+ and issues of the downtown core.
