Dr. Steve Rogers has served as Falls Church’s vice mayor, on its City Council, as the head of the F.C. Chamber of Commerce and of its Housing Commission. But it’s as his life-long calling that most people in Falls Church have come to respect and admire his work, as co-owner and then senior veterinarian at the Falls Church Animal Hospital. Dr. Rogers announced his retirement as of the end of September on the hospital’s website last week.

“It is with mixed emotions that I want to share my decision to retire from active practice at the end of September. For 41 years I have shared the joy and sadness that comes with bringing a four-legged family member into your life,” he wrote.

He added, “I have enjoyed, with your support, watching Falls Church Animal Hospital grow from a small practice into a state of the art multi-veterinarian practice…I look forward to seeing you around town and to becoming a regular at our neighborhood coffee shop. Expect to see me in the company of my two grandsons as I become a soccer and other sports grandpa.”