A beloved mother, aunt, and friend, she was born in Houston on October 13, 1947, to Wilson Harmon Snow and Mary Elizabeth Baudat. She was raised by her grandparents, Agnes "Mimi" Baudat and Emile "Papa" Baudat on Hartwick Road in Mt. Houston, graduating from Smiley High School in 1965. After briefly working as a secretary, she became one of the first women in her family to go to college, ultimately graduating from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston in 1974 with a degree in nursing as part of its inaugural class.
Roberta worked as a Registered Nurse for over ten years. She started at Ben Taub Hospital, where she rose to become assistant head nurse in the Neurosurgical ICU and head nurse for the Operating Room. In 1987, Roberta entered the Master of Science in Nursing program at UTMB. In addition to graduating with honors and belonging to the Sigma Theta Tau honors society, as well as writing a thesis on techniques to improve cervical cancer screenings for Latina women, Roberta gave birth to her only child, Matthew, while completing her studies. In 1990, Roberta helped to open a clinic with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where she cared for the "sickest of the sick," and later cared for recovering heroin addicts at a methadone clinic, where she helped those with chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, and psychiatric illnesses. Roberta ultimately spent over twenty years as a family nurse practitioner, caring for people across Houston, before retiring in 2020.
While Roberta was an accomplished nurse, her family was most important to her. She loved music (especially rock music from the 1960s and ‘70s and the blues), gardening, family history, antiques (particularly art deco and mid-century furniture), art, good food, cats, and Pomeranians. She was generous with giving gifts and with letting other people know her opinions. In 1972, she was a delegate to the Texas State Democratic Convention, where she voted for Sissy Farenthold to be the Democratic nominee for president, and while a student at UT Health’s school of nursing, she advocated for changes to the antiquated female student nurse uniforms. She remained a fierce advocate for women in the workplace throughout her life.
Roberta is survived by her son, Matthew Hudson, her daughter-in-law, Rachel Beeton, her sister Patricia Cooper, her brothers Kevin Snow, Larry Snow, and Michael Cooper, her nieces Shanna Snow and Jeanie Snow, her nephew Jason Snow, her sisters-in-law Kathy Snow and Jana Craig, her brother-in-law Paul Cipolla, as well as many other nieces, nephews, friends, and other relations
A visitation for Robbie will be held Wednesday, September 6, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Earthman Resthaven, 13102 North Fwy, Houston, TX 77060. A rosary will occur Wednesday, September 6, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, 13102 North Fwy, Houston, TX 77060. A funeral service will occur Thursday, September 7, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at St Matthias the Apostle Catholic Church, 302 Magnolia Blvd, Magnolia, TX 77355. A committal service will occur Thursday, September 7, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM at Brookside Memorial Funeral Home, Crematory and Cemetery, 13401 Eastex Fwy, Houston, TX 77039.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.earthmanresthavenfuneralhome.com for the Hudson family.
