Willis Dean "Bill" Roberts

Willis “Bill” Roberts, 79, of Collinsville, OK, passed away from lung cancer on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 in Georgetown, Texas. Bill was born June 28, 1933 in Elk County, Kansas, the son of Willis B. and Etta Mae (Furry) Roberts. He attended school in Busby, Kansas and Howard, Kansas. He graduated from Howard High School, class of 1952. Bill excelled at sports, and especially enjoyed running track and playing football. He attended Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas on a football scholarship. Later he attended the University of Wichita, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1964. He worked for Boeing in Wichita, Kansas while he worked on his Bachelor’s degree. Upon graduation, he joined General Electric in Huntsville, Alabama. In 1966, he joined American Airlines, in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a computer programmer and was proud to work there for 27 years until his retirement in 1992. Even after retirement, Bill enjoyed attending monthly breakfasts with his retired friends from American Airlines. Bill was united in marriage to Charlotte (Sloan) Roberts on December 19, 1954, in Howard, Kansas, at the Howard United Methodist Church. They raised two children, Martha and Joe. Bill and Charlotte celebrated 49 years of marriage until her death on October 17, 2003. On July 1, 2005, Bill married Vera (Adams) Conard-Roberts in Severy, Kansas. Bill and Vera enjoyed life together and were active members of the Severy United Methodist Church until her death on January 12, 2011. Bill had a lifelong hobby of vegetable gardening. He enjoyed tilling the land, planting, harvesting, and canning, and once the family pantry was full, always gave the surplus to friends. Bill was proud to be from Howard, Kansas, and was past President of the Howard High School Alumni Association, and enjoyed planning and attending the Annual Banquets. Bill is preceded in death by his brothers, Claude Roberts, Dallas Roberts, and Wilbur Roberts, and his sisters Hazel (Roberts) Knight, and Zuna (Roberts) Duckworth. He is survived by his son, Joe Roberts of Collinsville, Oklahoma, his daughter Martha (Roberts) Lancaster and her husband Stephen of Georgetown, TX, his grandson, Brian Lancaster of Georgetown, TX, and his sister Barbara Roberts of Winfield, KS. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013 at Howard United Methodist Church, Howard, Kansas, with Rev. Charles Cryderman officiating. Visitation will be at 10:00 AM until noon at the church. Interment will be at Grace Lawn Cemetery in Howard, Kansas. The family suggests that donations be made in Bill’s memory to the American Cancer Society. Condolences and memories to share with the family may be sent to www.countrysidefh.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Countryside Zimmerman Funeral Home in Howard, Kansas.

Willis Dean "Bill" Roberts

June 28, 1933 - March 27, 2013