Lockport Township High School District 205 board member Chimon Rogers dies

Lockport — The Lockport Township High School District 205 announced Tuesday the death of board member Sandra Chimon Rogers.

Chimon Rogers, 50, died Monday after a long-term illness. She was elected to the board in 2023 and was a longtime member of the District 205 community. She graduated from Lockport Township High School, where she participated in marching band.

She and her husband lived with their children in Homer Glen and both her sons currently attend LTHS. Chimon Rogers held a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Illinois–Chicago.

“Our deepest sympathy goes out to Dr. Chimon Rogers’ family,” board president Ann Lopez-Caneva said in a news release. “Sandra was a great board member and person. She will truly be missed.”

The school board said in its official statement that Chimon Rogers’ death was “truly a sad loss for the LTHS D205 community, and we offer out sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Chimon Rogers.”

Chimon Rogers was serving as board secretary at the time of her passing.

“I am heartbroken,” Superintendent Dr. Robert McBride said in the release. “Sandra was a clear-thinking, resolved board member. I will remember her most as a person who was kind to me and my family. She brought her life experiences, academic achievements, and wisdom into everything she did. This is a loss for her family, our board, and our community.”

Chimon Rogers specialized in bioanalytical nuclear neurochemistry and conducted research to find a prevention for Alzheimer’s Disease in her professional career, according to the district. She worked as the dean of the College of Professional Studies at the National University of Health Sciences in Illinois.

She was also recognized for her innovation in academic curriculum overhaul by the House of Representatives and the Society of Innovators, according to the district.

In her introductory video to the board in May 2023, Chimon Rogers spoke about how her high school teachers inspired her interest in chemistry and how she hoped to prepare students for higher education and encourage girls and minority students to pursue careers in STEM by being a “cheerleader” for them.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Additional details will be shared as they become available, according to the district.