Robert Ray Roberts

Our father was many things...one of 17 children, all state football player, scout leader and a successful business man. He was born September 1, 1926 to Mr. and Mrs. M.L. Roberts. He graduated from Marshall County High School in Guntersville, Alabama, where he played football and made All-State. After graduating, he joined the United States Air Force during World War II. In 1945, he married his sweetheart, Catherine (Kitty) Cornelius. After the war, he graduated LSU with a degree in Civil Engineering. He then moved to Gadsden to work with his brothers and afterwards formed his own company, Bob Roberts & Company. He and Kitty had four children, Don Roberts (deceased), Cathy Roberts Swafford (Ed), Robin Roberts (Debbie) and Leigh Anne Roberts Horton (Bob), nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

He and Kitty were married 74 years, 75 in January.

In all of the above, the most important to him was his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

There is a saying that is true for our father..."The best thing a Father can do for his children is love their Mother"...that was him.

Dad didn’t go to church. The music made him nervous. But every single day, he would come through the door at 5:00, go directly to the corner bedroom, shut the door and pray. That was our Dad.

There was nothing fake about him. You couldn't embarrass him if you tried. He made more fun of himself than anyone. He loved to laugh. He loved to tell a joke, but would always mess up the punchline.

He couldn't sing a note on key, but loved to listen to all of us sing.

He had been poor and rich, and he knew the difference, and he knew not to take life too seriously. Every day was an adventure for him. "Let's go on an adventure," he would say. We would get lost on purpose just to see if we could get back home without using a map.

He could hunt and fish and name every tree in the woods. He once grew 10 acres of red clover just to see all the kids and grandkids run and play in it. He couldn't carry a watermelon without busting it on the ground, making everyone think it was an accident. He carried a pocket knife and shined his own shoes. He always wore a hat and then later, suspenders for his pants.

Dad knew every General Store and good restaurant east of the Mississippi. If you were one of the lucky few that got to travel with him, you would be treated to sardines, potted meat, crackers and hoop cheese that had been warmed on the dashboard of his Ranchero. The only music he liked, although it made him cry, was Maybelle Carter, John Denver and Tennessee Ernie Ford.

He was smart...really smart. But it was always masked by his carefree manner.

And oh, how he loved our Momma. He always said that the first time he saw her, he knew she was the one. He called her “bright eyes” up until his last days. They have been married for 74, almost 75 years, and each year he would give her one red rose for each year they had been married. What a beautiful site those roses were.....what a beautiful example of a life well-lived and of a man well-loved.

We will miss him terribly, but his legacy will remain in the laughter of our children when we tell all of his stories and share the abounding love he shared with us. We love you so much.

He is survived by his wife and children, as well as grandchildren Steve Roberts (Jill), Chris Cleland, Catherine Cleland, Georgianne Donalson (Kevin), Jana Carpenter (Josh), Mead Roberts (Mandi), Ryan Roberts (Ashlyn), Kyle Roberts, Sam Horton, Will Horton, Annie Horton, and great grandchildren Ben Roberts, David Roberts, Aaron Roberts, Casey Donalson, Cate Carpenter, Cale Carpenter, Jackson Roberts, Carter Roberts, Owen Roberts, and Tillman Roberts.

Funeral services for Robert R. (Bob) Roberts will be at Collier-Butler Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Crestview Cemetery in Guntersville.

The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service. Dick Cain and Matt Alexander will officiate. Collier-Butler Funeral and Cremation Services will direct.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.collier-butler.com for the Roberts family.