Roy Rogers' Story

Lots to Love about Warwick Forest

Relaxing in his recliner, remote in hand, Roy Rogers can’t imagine a better place to live than Warwick Forest.

“I love it here,” he says. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I’m very happy here.”

Roy resides in Keswick Place Assisted Living at Warwick Forest in a one-bedroom apartment home that gives him easy access to maneuver his walker. All the furniture is from his Newport News house. Family photos of his daughters and their children smile back from the shelves and end tables, and several of his handmade wood carvings are conversation starters. A shadow box on the wall commemorates his military service that started when he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army in 1952. He retired as a full Colonel.

“My granddaughter is also a Second Lieutenant in Korea, following in her grandad’s footsteps,” he says proudly.

Rogers spent four years serving in Barcelona, a place he remembers so fondly that he framed a photo of his favorite restaurant. That hangs on the wall alongside another cherished picture of his father’s business, a store from the 1920s.

Roy moved to Warwick Forest with his wife, Roberta, who passed in 2016. He receives help with the tasks of daily living and benefits from the amenities that include three meals per day, transportation and laundry services, an on-site health clinic and a nurse monitoring system. A whiteboard on Roy’s refrigerator reminds him of his twice weekly physical therapy appointments.

“Everyone is friendly here,” he says. “There’s no pressure to do anything you don’t want to do.”

On seasonable days, Roy enjoys strolling the beautiful grounds. “I’ve always been an outdoor person,” he says. “I like to take a walk around the ponds.”

Roy has made many friends with his neighbors and shares a special affinity for another former Buckeye who lives at Keswick Place. Roy originally hails from Glouster, Ohio, a tiny coal-mining village southeast of Columbus. 

Roy is often questioned about his name that he shares with the former singer, actor and television host. “There is no connection between me and the cowboy,” he says. “We’re both Buckeyes but not related. I had the name before he did!”

Roy adds, “This is a nice place to live the later years of your life.”