Victor Stanton Roberts

Early Fruita resident, Victor Stanton Roberts, passed away at age 94.Born August 25, 1924 in the original St. Mary’s Hospital on Colorado Avenue in Grand Junction to Arlepha Grace Winslow Roberts and Victor Herbert Roberts of Appleton, Colorado.

Stanton, as he was always called by family and friends, was joined by his sister, Dorotha Grace on May 21, 1926. In 1929, the Roberts grandparents moved into town and Stanton’s parents took over the Fruita farm. He attended Fruita Union High School and was a Daily Sentinel carrier. He enjoyed playing sports and band. Prior to graduating, Stanton accepted an invitation to enroll in telegrapher’s training, a program sponsored by the railroads. Immediately after completion, he was hired by the D&RG, and Union Pacific railroads. Lee Parish and Frosty Thompkins were classmates, all three worked remote stations throughout the inter-mountain southwest. During this time, Stanton proposed to Dorothy. In 1943, he joined the US Navy at Treasure Island, California and was assigned to the USS General George O. Squier as Radioman 3rd class. The Squier was a troop transport ship and saw three theaters of battle, the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. Stanton was injured during the preparations for the invasion of the southern France resulting in the loss of sight in his left eye. He remained aboard ship until receiving leave to come home and marry Dorothy. They resided on the East Coast until the war ended, then proceeded on to Riverside, California, where Stanton’s parents lived. He worked with his father and studied apprentice carpentry, sponsored by the Carpenter’s Union, on the GI Bill. After graduating the four year apprenticeship program, he worked for several large contractors. One of his early projects was building the “first” installed VFW Posts (#5477), in Imperial Beach, California. This was a new concept for a post to “own” their building and land, the first one in the USA. He and fellow apprentice and lifelong friend, Willie (Bill) Fallon, found work on another new concept in construction, the housing tract. Stanton and Bill helped build these homes that Stan and Bill were able to buy on the GI Bill, and started families. He had a part in many unusual projects like the glass elevator addition to the El Cortez hotel in San Diego. He studied construction project management in college and worked both civilian and military projects, such as Holy Cross Cemetery, Sunset Hills Mausoleum, MCAS air station runway and hangers, and a nuclear submarine pier. Stanton had the pleasure of working in the Hawaiian Islands. He worked at the Barking Sands Naval Facility in Kauai, a naval fuel storage facility in Oahu, and the Marine Corps Naval Air Station in Kaneohe. Stanton returned to California and pursued many more large projects, where he saw a desert valley turn to lush orange groves and vineyards. In 1979, Stanton started his partnership, Good and Roberts General Contractors, Inc. He and his partner Jack Good located the business in Carlsbad, California and worked doing projects such as renovating 100 stores and corporate headquarters for the Jack in the Box Corporation, ongoing projects for Kelco, General Atomic, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, chapel building to UCSD college campus, and rebuilt the Oceanside Municipal Pier. A landmark project was Seaport Village at San Diego Bay. Stanton and Dorothy retired in 1987. In addition to his actual work in construction, he taught construction technology in colleges and mentored many young people. After retiring, Stan moved back to Colorado to enjoy fly fishing, jeeping, and his Home Inspection business. He was a member of Disabled Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Messiah Lutheran Church where he helped rebuild the school after the arson fires.

Stan is survived by his wife, Dorothy; daughter, Gay Diane; grandsons, Todd Victor Velasco, and J.R. Pressely; granddaughter, Skyanne Pressley; great-grandsons, Jacob Velasco, Zachary Velasco, Austin Neel, Justin, Evan, and Don Meyers; nieces, Arlepha May Berry, and Robyn Dorius; nephews, Norman Eugene Berry, and Lee Dorius; sister-in-law, Gay Eloise Dorius; and cousin, Rolland Winslow-Bainter; and grateful to George McGuire, Jr.

Services are Friday, December 21st at 10:00 am at the Lutheran Church and School of Messiah, 840 N. 11th Street in Grand Junction. Military Honors will be held in the spring at the Veterans Cemetery of Western Colorado.

You can see Victor’s story on YouTube under Veterans Remember/Victor S. Roberts.