With great sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved husband and father, Marc Andre Robertson, aged 72 years. He passed away peacefully at home in Chicago, IL on July 20, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Darla J. Robertson, and children Libby Robertson, Hannah (C.J.) Chijioke, Elijah (Lauren) Robertson, Martha (Aaron) Harding, Micah (Chrissy) Robertson, Luke (Anna) Robertson, Joanna Robertson, Sarah Robertson, Josiah (Winona) Robertson, Maurice (Rachel) Walker, Daniel Walker, Joshua Walker, Ezra Walker-Robertson. Cherished grandfather of Christian, Andrew, Justin, Cadence, & William Chijioke; Chloe, Elliot, & Nora Robertson; Elisha, Arya, Emma, & Adley Harding; Charlotte, Tobias, & Lydia Robertson; Nova, Makai, & Amari; Andre & Kennedy Walker. His extra kids, chosen through love: Delcina, Hannah, Caitlyn, Brenda, Faith, and their families. Caring brother-in-law and uncle of Marcia, Jennifer, & Alicia. He is pre-deceased by his mother, Elsie (Campbell) Cavens, father, Melvin Robertson, step-father Floyd Cavens, mother-in-Law Jeanine Beckner, & son-in-law Dick “Cj” Chijioke.
Marc Andre Robertson was born October 24, 1948 in Chicago, IL. He grew up on Chicago’s south side. His parents were Elsie Cavens and Melvin Robertson. He grew up an only child. But with 11 aunts and uncles on his Mom’s side of the family and 7 aunts and uncles on his Dad’s side, he had many cousins he was close to and a very large extended family.
Marc’s family had a lasting influence on his life but the single most important thing in his life was his relationship with Jesus. At the age of 7, he heard the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ and he gave his life to the Lord and accepted that gift. This relationship informed everything that he did in his life. He loved the Lord and pointed others to him. His goal was to bring glory and honor to God through his life and his love for others.
Marc wasn’t initially fond of academics during his early elementary years, however, comic books sparked an interest in reading and he began to excel in his studies. He especially loved Math, Physics, and reading classics such as Quo Vadis and Scaramouche. He attended Loyola Academy for high school and graduated with honors. He was accepted at the University of Illinois in Urbana (U of I) and studied Physics.
In September of 1970, he met Darla on the campus of U of I at an after-church meal hosted by his roommate Greg. Marc cooked his specialty, a delicious dinner of pork chops and rice and also washed the dishes. This impressed Darla, who had never seen a man work in the kitchen. Marc and Darla had an instant connection and talked about everything. They secretly eloped and were married 3 months later in an Urbana, Illinois courthouse on December 7, 1970, the 29th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day.
Their interracial marriage was a surprise to their families but eventually Darla’s mom and grandmother came to love Marc because of his kind, humble, and loving ways. The first time Darla’s mother, Jeanine met Marc, she said to Darla, “I know why you love him, he is a wonderful person.” Marc’s mom and step-dad, Elsie and Floyd Cavens, also accepted his decision and opened their heart and home in Chicago to the newly married couple.
After marriage, Marc left school following his Junior year and began to work full time. He worked as a lab inspector for Curtis Candy and then as a teacher at Allied Technical Institute teaching basic electricity. A lab tech job opened at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and that began a long and fruitful career that spanned 28 years. At the district he worked his way up from the lab to a Level 3 Treatment Plant Operator, the highest position you could hold in that track without an Engineering degree. He enjoyed being able to apply his study skills, Physics knowledge, and Algebra to his work. Even though his job could be highly political, God always gave him favor. When questioned about how he made it to his position, he said the only clout he had was God. He met many interesting people there and made friends he kept for life.
Even though he never finished college, he always retained a love of Math, Science, Computers, and learning. He was self taught and actively read and learned new things including computer programming, martial arts, and many practical skills such as home handy-man skills, and car repair. He would often pray for wisdom when working on things and it seemed that God always answered that prayer. He was not afraid to ask questions and enjoyed learning from other people as well.
From the beginning Marc and Darla talked about having a farm and 12 kids. They had their first child after 5 ½ years of marriage and their family grew to include many much loved children who were biological or officially and unofficially adopted into the family. The dream of having a farm also became a reality. They moved from Chicago, IL to Elgin, IL after 11 years and after another 11 years, they finally fulfilled their dream and moved to a small 6 acre farm in Milledgeville, IL. It was a big sacrifice for Marc, who had a 5 hour round trip to and from work but it was worth it to him for the benefit of his family. He retired early after 5 years on the farm but continued to work on learning programming, carpentry, and other skills.
In 2016, Marc experienced a stroke that greatly affected the way he lived. After 23 years on the farm, he and Darla moved back to Chicago. Even though the debilitating results of several strokes, and loss of physical ability caused him much suffering, he continued to give glory to God and rely on Him for strength to live and love others. He passed away peacefully at home on July 20, 2021. He is free and wholly alive and we know we will see him again.
Marc leaves a legacy of deep love for God and family, personal integrity, humility, and fun. We will miss his laughter and teasing, his quiet humor, his stories and jokes, his listening ear and wise words. We will always treasure his enjoyment of music and the memory of him singing gospel songs, especially “Amen”. He was a highly intelligent man but never flaunted that knowledge or dismissed others. He was a dignified man, who never let circumstances or societal whims dictate his behavior or sense of self. He was a man of his word. He was kind and full of generosity. He loved serving in his church in different ways, whether it was working in children’s programs, singing, or serving as an Elder. He was also a humble and self sacrificing person who always put the needs of others before his own.
We knew he would support us in our endeavors. We could count on him to be in our corner and to point out areas of growth but also support us in those areas. He showed us what a Godly marriage looked like, how to love a family and be a father worth emulating. March Robertson was a loving and faithful man of God.
We would love for all of you, our dear family and friends, to be a part of the memorial book that will be created from your stories and messages. You can use the "Add a Memory" link for below to share your memories of Marc. Please do this by Saturday August 21, 2021. Thank you!
Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 7, 9:30 - 11:00 AM at Malec & Songs - 6000 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646. The funeral service will follow on Saturday, August 7, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, with a light repast to follow with friends and family from 1:00-3:00 PM at the Malec & Sons Funeral Home.
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