Elizabeth Sara Rogers, 55, of Lexington, died peacefully on February 17 after a heroic 5-year battle with ovarian cancer. Beth was the daughter of George and Judy (Goodell) Rogers of Litchfield, Maine; the loving wife of Stephen Van Evera of Lexington; and loving mother of daughters Lydia, Eleanor and Alice Van Evera. She grew up in Weymouth, Mass., and graduated from Weymouth South high school, Wellesley college (BA), and Duke University (PhD). She taught political science/international relations at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, and later in the Harvard Extension school. She loved the comrades with whom she shared joyous times at tennis around Lexington. She was a member of Pilgrim UCC church in Lexington, where she had many beloved friends. She regretted that spending cuts by the U.S. Congress under the 2013 budget sequester reduced research on new anti-cancer weapons by 50 percent, halving the hopes of Americans with advanced cancer. She is survived by her parents, her husband, her daughters, and her brother George M. Rogers III and his husband Patrick Watson, of Washington DC. A celebration of her life will be on Saturday April 1st at 2:00 pm in the Pilgrim Congregational Church, 55 Coolidge Ave., Lexington, MA. Gifts in her honor can be given to the Southern Poverty Law Center: 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104. To send a condolence or share photos and stories please visit Elizabeth's Book of Memories page at devitofuneralhomes.com.