J. Wesley Rohn, R.I.P.

Merrill Anderson's President and CEO at the time I joined the firm in 1979, Wes Rohn, died earlier this month. Here is his obituary:

Hampton Bays, NY: Joseph Wesley Rohn died in his 85th year at his summer home here on July 5th. He was a son of the late David and Elizabeth Rinier Rohn of West Englewood, NJ and the brother of the late James T. Rohn of Fletcher, NC.

Wes Rohn graduated from the Englewood School for Boys (now Dwight Englewood School) of which he later became a Trustee. He attended the University of Virginia and served as a naval officer during World War II.

In 1947 he began Business News Associates, a company for bank advertising, an open field, as banks traditionally did not advertise at that time. In the seventies he merged the business into the Merrell Anderson Company, later becoming the President and CEO.

The Rohns have summered in Hampton Bays since 1959 and also lived in Closter and Tenafly, NJ, and Litchfield, CT, Wes reconstructing the family’s old houses as he went along. He also enjoyed gardening, boating, fishing and duplicate bridge. He was a diligent worker and a nutritionist and environmentalist ahead of his time. After retiring to Naples, FL in 1986, he volunteered for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Habitat for Humanity and Hospice of Naples and joined the Minor League Club.

Surviving him are his wife of 59 years, the former Joan Fagan of Englewood, NJ and his eight children and seventeen grandchildren: daughter Karen, husband Robert Osar and their sons Brian and Daniel of Wilton CT; sons David Rohn of Miami, FL, Frederick Rohn, wife Dana, and their daughters Chloe and Phoebe, of Litchfield, CT; and Peter Rohn, wife Regina and their children James, Alex and Peter of Tenafly, NJ; also Carl Rohn and Michael Rohn of Hampton Bays and Carl’s daughters Jennifer and Emily of Salt Lake City, UT, Meredith of Manorville, NY and Mckayla of Baldwin, NY; and Mary (Molly), husband Jeffrey Morgan and their children Ben, Lucy and Marguerite; and Robert Rohn, wife Katherine and Children Katie, Galen and Nicholas, all of Darien CT.

Wes Rohn belonged to the First Presbyterian Church of Naples, FL and the First Presbyterian Church of Southampton, NY, where there will be a memorial service on July 18th at 12 noon. Memorials may be made to either church, or to the Dwight Englewood School, Englewood, NJ. For further details, contact the J. Ronald Scott Funeral Home, 20 Ponquogue Avenue, Hampton Bays, phone # 631-728-3660.