|
| Lilbern Beryl Roberts
|
| NO. 17743 • 9 September 1924 – 13 February 1991 |
Died 13 February 1991 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, aged 66 years
Interment: The Washington Crossing Methodist Church Cemetery, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania
|
LILBERN WAS BORN 9 September 1924 in Rochester, Missouri to Garnet and
Norman Roberts. He was a serious young boy who excelled in school, especially
in mathematics and science. He was very active in the Boy Scouts and inevitably
became an Eagle Scout.
He graduated from Central High School in St Joseph, Missouri and
attended St Joseph Junior College for a semester until he joined the Army Air
Corps in March 1943. Lilbern became "Bob" upon entering the service,
but he remained Lilbern to his family and friends in Missouri.
He completed a six‑month airplane (B‑24) mechanics course
at Keesler Field, Mississippi and an aerial gunnery school at Laredo, Texas. He
remained at Laredo and served as a gunnery instructor for the remainder of
World War II. Bob was appointed to West
Point through the Army. He attended Amherst College from 1945-46 in
preparation for his studies at West Point, and in July of 1946 he began his
four years at the Academy, along with many other World War II veterans. As a cadet, he was a member of the
Radio Club, the photographic editor for The Pointer magazine and varsity
manager of the cross country team.
I met Bob on a blind date in November 1949 at the Penn‑Army game
in Philadelphia. For me, it was love at first sight. I never doubted that he
would become my husband. After graduation Bob was assigned to Fort Bliss,
Texas, and was soon transferred to Fort Dix, New Jersey. We were married in
Teaneck, New Jersey on 3 February 1951.
Bob served in Korea from 1952‑1953 with the 105mm Field Artillery
Battery and was reassigned to Japan for an additional year. He resigned from
the Army in November 1954 and started his civilian career with Alcoa in
Edgewater, New Jersey. Bob completed his Master's Degree in Industrial
Engineering at New York University night school. Bob also became active in the
National Guard and, later, the Army Reserves, attaining the rank of colonel.
He worked for ITT for about 10 years. Some of that time was with
Federal Electric Corporation, a subsidiary of ITT, which was involved with
maintaining the DEWLINE‑ Distant Early Warning System.
In 1976, Bob joined Mobil Oil Corporation's engineering
department in Princeton, New Jersey, and we settled in Washington Crossing,
Pennsylvania. Bob worked in Indonesia a short time and traveled to Saudi
Arabia and Australia.
In 1979, Bob was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which
curtailed most job‑related traveling. Bob maintained a positive attitude
all his life. He lived with cancer for 11 years, and I can't remember him ever
complaining. He was concerned only for others, and he could always reverse the
conversation to center on friends and family rather than on himself.
Bob was well liked and respected by everyone who knew him. He had a
special rapport with children of all ages. I know he touched many of their
lives. To me, he epitomized the word "gentleman," for he was always
such a kind and gentle man.
Bob remained loyal and faithful to "The Corps" and to his
country. He had a strong Christian faith which was a comfort and strength for
him.
He is survived and deeply missed by four children: Dwight, David, Linda
and Cornelia; his wife, Nancy; and nine granddaughters.
"That which we lose, we mourn, but must rejoice that we have
ever had."
- C.J. Wells
|
USMA 1950