Rohwer has been called "a pioneer in the study of verbal and imaginal representational processes among children." He conducted research on the determinants of children's and adolescents' learning abilities, such as the type of educational technique used and the student's socioeconomic status.
Rohwer and his wife, Carol, had four children. William and Carol Rohwer were both wine aficionados who founded West Coast Fine Wines in their retirement. William died of lung cancer at his home on June 26, 2016.