Community, Machines and the Open Road: A Tribute to Barry Rogers

As I write this, it’s been just over a week since I last talked to Barry Rogers about a new article he wanted to develop for Modern Machine Shop. It would be a story, he said, that unfurled the history and wonder of Swiss machines dating back to the late 19^th century, detailing how it took specific people living in a specific place and time to invent what we now call Swiss-style machining. It would explore how it evolved beyond the watchmaking industry into electronics, automotive, micromechanics and medical.

During our call and despite his 73 years, Barry could barely contain his enthusiasm about the idea. He had even traveled recently to Moutier, Switzerland, the birthplace of mechanically automated lathes and the wellspring of Swiss-style machining. He was brimming with ideas that needed an outlet.

Historical deep dives are not exactly common fare for Modern Machine Shop, but I wasn’t about to say no to Barry. His byline has appeared in dozens of Modern Machine Shop articles over the last two decades. His non-bylined writing has graced numerous technical articles for Gardner Business Media, and he has been a longtime friend to many here, including several members of the Kline family, the company’s owners.

After our call, Barry followed up with a long email that began, “The fact that Custer died at Little Bighorn in June of 1876 and the Swiss were already producing machines amazes me.” He seemed to be living in a constant state of amazement.

It was therefore shocking to learn that Barry had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on May 18. I soon found myself speaking with one of Barry’s best friends, Bob Davis, who not only grew up with Barry on an Army ordinance depo in South Dakota as kids, but stayed friends for life — the two would enjoy countless hunting, fishing, camping and motorcycle adventures together over nearly seven decades. Their careers found a way to overlap despite different educational backgrounds, and Bob even ended up working for Barry at Sunnen Products Company, where he is now global communications manager.

Professionally, Barry Rogers enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the machine tool industry. His technological expertise and his talent for sales and marketing took him all over the world, allowing him to share his knowledge and mentor dozens if not hundreds of people over the course of his life. For more than five decades, Barry held significant roles with renowned companies such as LK Metrology, John Deere, Renishaw, Sunnen, Haas and most recently, Tornos, where he served as a senior advisor. But, as I have learned recently from Barry’s close friends and family, it was his commitment to community that will cement his legacy of kindness, generosity and compassion.

Barry Rogers’ service to community was evident through his volunteer work, his dedication to mentoring young people in the industry, and the commitment to several ministries he served. “Barry was always there for anyone in need,” Bob said. “He’d give you the shirt off his back without a second thought. His kindness and generosity… Barry made the world a better place, and his legacy lives on through the people he helped and the lives he touched.”

Throughout his life, Barry nurtured his deep convictions about religion and spirituality along with an adventurous side that saw him always in motion. He was an avid motorcycle rider and traveled thousands of miles on his beloved motorcycles over the years, often with his friends in the HighRoad Riders Motorcycle Group. His joy in riding motorcycles, love for the outdoors and generosity in helping others paint a picture of a man who lived fully and gave freely. This quote from Bob Davis is a fitting testament to these qualities:

“Barry was one of those guys that had the ability to go and meet a bunch of different people that he didn’t know, and before long he would become their friend. He never treated you anything other than a friend, even if he was your boss. One of our circles of friends was a rancher from South Dakota where we grew up, and Barry still went back there once a year to visit him and his extended family. And their kids became like family to him, and he became like an uncle to all these kids. He had his church group, he had his Sunnen group, he had his grade school group from South Dakota and his high school group from Illinois, he had his group from the early years in the industry and his international group from visiting so many companies around the world. Barry was the glue that held all of these groups together.”  

When Barry and I talked about the article he wanted to write for Modern Machine Shop, he dropped a hint that was hard not to pick up. Among his many articles for Modern Machine Shop in years past, he said, were two cover features. He wasn’t asking for this new article to be the cover, necessarily, but he did want to provide some cool images just in case. Among the images he sent was that of a ladybug next to a Swiss-machined part. I knew it would be our cover as soon as I saw it.

To Bob Davis and to all of Barry’s friends in the machine tool industry and beyond; to his family, including his wife Jayne, his children Carrie, Katie, Andrew and Robert; to his grandson Aidan; and to his brothers Ric and Jim: Here is one more cover feature to enjoy from the great Barry Rogers.

May he rest in peace.

[Note: A celebration of life will take place Friday, June 7, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. Central Time in South Elgin, IL. The service will also be live-streamed on YouTube.]