* Dorothy Rodgers; Inventor, Writer, Widow of Composer

Dorothy Rodgers, 83, an inventor, writer, interior decorator and widow of composer Richard Rodgers. Her inventions included the toilet bowl Jonny Mop, Basically Yours dress patterns, and Turn and Learn storybooks. In 1930, she married Rodgers, who collaborated with Oscar Hammerstein II on the musicals “Oklahoma!” “South Pacific,” “The King and I” and “The Sound of Music.” Mrs. Rodgers wrote several books on home design and entertaining, including “My Favorite Things” and “The House in My Head.” She and her daughter wrote “A Word to the Wives,” an advice book on mother-daughter relationships. The book led to a nationally syndicated radio program and a column in McCall’s magazine that ran from 1971 to 1979. On Monday in Manhattan of the complications of emphysema.