Henry Jerome Roberts

Henry Jerome Roberts, Sr. was born on October 8, 1936 to the late George “Doll” R. Fields and Mary L. Staton Roberts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Raised as an only child until the age of 8, Henry shared his life with his younger sister, the late Beatrice Roberts-Syllas. As a child, Henry was quite active and busy. In 1948, at the age of 12, his maternal grandparents, Johnny and Louisa Jones, thought he would benefit from a slower pace of life. Once relocating to live with them in Tarboro, North Carolina, Henry found himself surrounded by aunts and uncles, some of whom were close to him in age. Some called him “Pee Wee” and others called him “Rooster.” This period of his life helped him determine that he was best suited for city life.

In 1956, Henry moved to Washington, D.C. and started working for PEPCO. Shortly thereafter, he met the love of his life, Evelyn Campbell and in 1961, the two were married. From that union, two children were born; Henry Jr. (Robbie) and Jana. Henry was a keen observer. What others saw as an obstacle, he saw as an opportunity. This perspective motivated him to start his own waste removal company. After months of planning and saving, Henry opened H. Roberts Trash Removal Service in 1970 to create generational wealth for his family.

Henry enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Saturdays were usually spent at Hains Point fishing and picnicking, or enjoying gatherings at Fort Washington Park in Maryland. These outings inspired Henry to relocate his family from Washington, D.C. to Fort Washington in 1973 where he bought his first home. He enjoyed hosting holiday gatherings, Saturday night card parties, cooking southern dishes and grilling, even throughout the winter.

Another of Henry’s favorite pastimes was fishing. He’d fish from a pier, a rock, or a boat and would always fill a cooler with his fresh catch. Regardless of the fishing hole, his catch always ended up on the Roberts’ dinner table every Friday.

In 1979, Henry met Marina Steel and that year they welcomed his third child, Christine Elisa. Though Marina later moved away, he remained a devoted father to Christine. He never missed a birthday and always made sure to call, no matter the distance. His love for her was unwavering, and he took pride in staying present in her life in every way he could.

During Henry’s prime years, he and his grandchildren looked forward to their monthly games of “Go Fish” and checkers as well as taking photos at holiday celebrations using his old Polaroid camera.

After suffering a debilitating stroke in 2011, Henry decided it was time to sell his company. He quietly retired and remained in his home until 2020, when it became safest for him to have full-time assistance. After moving into an assisted living facility, Henry quickly settled back into using his charm with the ladies. It was not uncommon for Jana to receive calls about his flirtatious spirit. Henry made many new friends amongst the residents and staff.

Henry always loved getting dressed up to go out. After matching from head to toe, he’d select one of his Stetson hats and top it all off with a splash of cologne. He relished his trips to the casino where he enjoyed playing the slot machines. For Henry’s 85th birthday, his birthday wish was to go to Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City, NJ…not MGM, Live, nor Horseshoe, which were all much closer. He was picked up at 9am, too excited to sleep during the four-hour drive, he spent twelve hours playing slots, people watching, and enjoying dinner—then stayed awake the entire trip home. Returned just before dawn, he happily recounted his day but requested not to be woken for breakfast or lunch. He didn’t win any money, but everyone heard about his trip!

On Monday, April 7, 2025 Henry passed away quietly while at Independence Court of Hyattsville Assisted Living Facility in Hyattsville, MD. He was preceded in death by his parents, younger sister, and an older sister, the late Oradale Stancil. He leaves to cherish his memories, a son Henry Roberts Jr. of Montgomery Village, MD, two daughters Jana Roberts (Jonathon) of Denver, NC and Christine Jones (Saundra) of McAllen, Tx; three nephews, Stanford Knight (Yvonne) of Suffolk, VA, Kittrell Knight of Pikesville, MD, and Darryl Roberts (Robin); of York, SC; seven grandchildren, G. Glenn Johnson (Alexandra) of Frederick, MD, Jamal Bullock of Houston, Tx, Denzel Roberts (Valin) of Frederick, MD, Cameron Roberts of New York, NY, Jazzmin Lee of Upper Marlboro, MD, Yizreal Roberts-Jones of McAllen, Tx, and Dadrain Roberts-Jones of McAllen, Tx; six great-grandchildren, Amir, Janiyah, Kennedi, Jayden, Victoria, and Danielle; and a host of family and friends.