Annemieke de Wit Rogers was courageous till the very end. She stood up to stage 4 cancer for five and a half years, looked her diagnosis in the eye, and said, “I will not go!”
She set a daily example of determination and commitment. Through every new treatment, every new scan, and even as the cancer appeared elsewhere, she would not give up. She exhausted every procedure, medication, several chemo treatments and anything her doctors were willing to try. Even as her stamina began to wane, she was resolute in her focus every day- her life and reason for living were her three sons. Luke, Josh and Nick Rogers.
Her story is one of tenacity and bravery. On June 22, 2023, she lost her battle with cancer. The universe now holds her peacefully. Her pain and suffering have ended. She is at peace.
Annemieke will be remembered as a mom who would volunteer for everything at the elementary and middle schools her sons attended. She actively participated in the Schoolpower fundraisers and volunteered for the Coast Film Festival. She was the friend that would show up if you were in need. She loved the band U2 and could be brought to tears when a song of theirs would play. She was filled with a passion for fashion and design. She loved to dance the night away! She loved to walk her dog Lucy down at the beach and watch the sunset. She took images of everything and anything that caught her eye. If flowers were blooming somewhere, she needed to see and walk among them. Her essence was that of goodness and kindness. Her enthusiasm was infectious. If you were lucky enough to call her friend, you were gifted with her love.
Annemieke de Wit was born in Beverwijk, Netherlands, on April 30, 1968. She was the daughter of Cornelia Anna de Boer and Martinus de Wit. Sister to Ellen. Annemieke was a model in the Netherlands. She worked in a bridal store as a bridal consultant for years. Her passion was design in any form. She was an amazing fashion designer and won prizes in the Netherlands. In 1994, Annemieke came to the United States. She had been hired by NorthWest Airlines as an interpreter. It was here that she met Shawn Rogers who she would eventually marry and start her own family with. They settled in Findlay, Ohio, eventually relocating here to Laguna Beach in July of 2010. Beginning in 2018, they continued to co-parent and reside dually in Laguna Beach devoted to their sons. They could both be heard cheering Nick on as he played football for Laguna Beach High School. In the last year of her life, Annemieke was determined to make every game, even when she had grown weak- she never missed!
Annemieke is predeceased by both her parents. She is survived by her sons Luke, Josh and Nick. She is survived by her sister Ellen Pichel de Wit. Ellen was not just her sister but her very best friend in the entire world. “Bep” as Annemieke called her, traveled back and forth between here and the Netherlands, sometimes leaving her family for months at a time to stay by Annemieke’s side as she fought cancer. She is also survived by Ellen’s husband, Leon, and her niece Megan.
To borrow lyrics from her favorite U2 song, “One love, one blood, one life, you got to do what you should. One life with each other, sisters and brothers. One life, but we’re not the same. We get to carry each other, carry each other.”
