William Edward “Bill” Roberts
October 4, 1934 - May 15, 2019
William Edward “Bill” Roberts, age 84, of Newark, DE, passed away on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Yorklyn, DE on October 4, 1934, he was a son of the late Thomas Worth and Bina Lee (Blackburn) Roberts, Sr. Bill was proud to be a U.S. Marine. Following his service, he worked at General Motors, retiring after 30 dedicated years.
Bill was dedicated to his family. He was true to himself and never felt the need to go outside of who he was to impress anyone. When it came to ingenuity there was not much he couldn’t design, fix or build. Bill was a man with many talents, never turning down a chance to help others with his expertise and guidance.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Thomas Roberts, Jr., Jim Roberts and Harry Roberts; sister, Esther Jean Henderson; and grandson, Austin Taylor Roberts. Bill is survived by his wife of 61 and a half years, Frances Ann (Peters) Roberts; son, William “Robby” Roberts; son and daughter-in-law, Randy and Diane Roberts; brother, Allen Roberts; sister, Mary McCready; grandchildren, Heather Roberts and Ryan Roberts; and great grandsons, Dylan Gazda and Liam Monahan.
A visitation for family and friends will be held from 9 am until 11 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 1000 North DuPont Parkway, New Castle, DE, where a funeral service will begin at 11 am. Interment will follow in Gracelawn Memorial Park, 2220 North DuPont Parkway, New Castle, DE.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Bill’s memory to the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, c/o Christiana Care, P.O. Box 1668, Wilmington, DE 19899.
Phil Church
Bill Roberts–one of my favorite people that I’ve had the pleasure to have met in my life time. He was a fine man and it saddens me deeply that I will never see him again–
Penny
Uncle Bill will live on in our hearts. He will be greatly missed.
Mike Mitchell
Bill was a very intelligent man..could build anything…I was blessed to know him.francis i,m so sorry.the Lord will watch over you I pray .
Craig Pack
Uncle Bill was one extraordinary man. I remember when something would ever happen to my car, my grandpa would say “let’s have uncle Bill take a look at it.” He wouldn’t even hesitate and be down at the house the same day and sure enough, would have whatever the issue was fixed in no time and I was always so appreciative of him. He loved challenges and even more amazingly, he did it ALL without YouTube or Google and for him to have the knowledge and know-how to fix anything made him something remarkable and definitely a person anyone could look up to as inspiration. Uncle Bill, you will be truly missed. You’re in a better place now and make sure you give my grandma a big hug from all of us when you see her. See you when we get there.
Douglas Roberts
Bill was always himself & never changed no matter where he was. Barbara & I really enjoyed his presence when we went to the family reunions in North Carolina. Bill will be greatly missed. He was a one of a kind person that never said not to anyone. Love ya cousin.
Pattie Sue
Bill was an awesome brother-in-law who was so much fun to be around. The man had a way of calling it like he saw it and possessed this unique sigh and exhale when he believed someone was just putting on a show. I loved the way he spoke, not only with his voice, but with his gestures and expressions. He made me laugh out loud, a lot, when I was around him. Rarely did he fail at anything he attempted and took joy in putting a smile on the face of whomever he happened to be helping in the moment. When my sisters and I visited him and my sister (Fran) he would draw us special maps with instructions to get to wherever we wanted or needed to go. With his natural internal GPS he could go or take a person anywhere without getting lost. I don’t believe there was anything the man couldn’t do once he set his mind on it. Bill left his mark on this world. He was a phenomenal son, husband, father, brother, and friend – he was a good, good man! Words cannot express how much he will be missed. We love you Bill and look forward to seeing you again on the other side.
Chris Stone
Dad and I were very sorry to hear about Bill, Frances. I’ll give you a call soon and we’ll talk. Lots of love to you and your family. –Chris and Jim
Lorraine Keane
Dear Fran,
Thank you for sharing your beautiful family photographs of your beloved Bill. I feel as though I know him now. I would have liked to have met him. Bill looks like he was a very kind and caring man who loved his family and friends and cherished you. A gentleman. A Marine. I am truly sorry Fran for this great loss. I will keep you and your family in my prayers for God to give you His strength at this time.
Most sincerely,
Lorraine Keane