Dorothy Hiett Roberts

Died Sunday, March 14, 2010, at Jacksonville, FL after a brief illness.

Born, March 19, 1924 in Toledo, Ohio, she was daughter of Donald and Dorothy Hiett.

In 1944, she married Alfred C. Howard, who died in 1969. The Howard’s had three sons, Donald C. Howard (Sandy), of Destrehan, LA; and Alfred H. Howard (Gloria), of Jacksonville Beach, and Bruce C. Howard (Donna) of Ponte Vedra Beach. All survive her.

In 1970, she married Navy Commander Alfred M. Roberts, Jr., who predeceased her in 2004.

Mrs. Roberts was an avid golfer, an enthusiastic traveler and a lover of all kinds of music. She was a prominent member of the Watch Hill, R.I. summer community for some 40 years.

As a Trustee of Alfred M. Roberts, Jr. Charitable Foundation, Mrs. Roberts was responsible for, and took great satisfaction in directing, generous grants to a variety of charitable organizations in Rhode Island and Florida. Mrs. Roberts directed significant grants to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St Augustine. She was particularly proud to have helped establish the four Hospice Suites at the Westerly Hospital in Rhode Island as well as supported several important initiatives of the Westerly Ambulance Corps and Fire District.

In recognition of her particular generosity to Watch Hill, the Watch Hill Fire District had, before her death, determined to honor her with its 2010 Citizens Service Award; the award will be presented posthumously at the Annual Meeting of the Fire District in July.

The family will receive friends for a time of remembrance from 5-7 p.m. Thursday 3/18/10, at HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, FL. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, 4266 Sunbeam Rd.,, Jacksonville, FL 32257.