Family and friends of Whitefish veterinarian Hugh Rogers were gathered for a surprise birthday party when they learned his airplane had crashed.
Rogers’ plane crashed onto the ice of Hungry Horse Reservoir late Wednesday afternoon. The wreckage was located early Thursday.
Kari Gabriel, a friend and former co-worker of Rogers’ at Alpine Animal Hospital, was among those gathered at the Mountain Trails Saddle Club to celebrate his 50th birthday.
She says she can’t think of anyone who lived a fuller life. She says he lived his dreams and died doing what he loved doing best.
Others remembered Rogers for his humanitarian work, from helping start a spay and neuter task force in the Flathead Valley, to helping with pets abandoned after Hurricane Katrina, or donating to charitable causes. He was an active volunteer for Angel Flights, a flight service for those with medical needs.
Rogers’ body was taken to the state crime lab in Missoula for autopsy. The cause of the plane crash remains under investigation.