Roderick A. Ferguson III ’69

Devoted husband and father, loyal Bermudian and Princetonian, Rod died Jan. 8, 2025, at his second home in Virginia.

Following his graduation from Saltus Grammar School, where he was head prefect, Rod came to Princeton, majored in English, played soccer, and was a Keyceptor and Orange Key guide. His social life was centered at Campus Club. Clubmates Jimbo Alley, Dan Herrick, Al Pavilanis, Hayden Smith, and Jeff von Arx recall how he brought them into his circle of friends, and how he stayed in touch after graduation. In our 25th-reunion yearbook, Rod referred to our Princeton degrees as “today’s equivalent of knighthood.”

Martha Smart and Rod were married days after graduation and headed to the University of Michigan for Rod’s MBA. In 1971, Rod was hired by Bermuda’s Gorham Lumber Co. as assistant general manager, and five years later he was running the company. Under his leadership, Gorham’s became the largest retail operation in Bermuda.

Rod and Martha spent part of each year in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where they started Devils Backbone microbrewery. Devils Backbone became the featured beverage at our recent major reunions. In 2012, they hosted a Charlottesville-based mini-reunion, which included a memorable dinner at Devils Backbone.

We join Martha and their children, Emily and Roderick, in mourning Rod’s passing. Quoting Bill Charrier, who spoke at Rod’s memorial in Bermuda, “We say goodbye today to our dear friend, Knight of the Order of Old Nassau, extraordinary human being, a man of quiet dignity and generosity. We will miss him greatly.”