Keith Gilbert Roberts

Keith Gilbert Roberts, 56, passed away comfortably at St. Joseph’s Memorial Hospital on Sunday, July 19, 2020. Keith was a loving father and dedicated friend who will be forever missed.

Thankfully they broke the mold when Keith was born to the late John and Billie Roberts on March 3, 1964. Being born the middle of eight brothers and sisters shaped Keith’s formative years and resulted in a lifetime of strong bonds and goofy antics, as he led his siblings through obnoxious pranks and late nights of fun adventures and laughter. His fun-loving nature was known to all, often accompanied by his one-of-a-kind laugh and huge smile.

He first met his great love, Melissa, when he was just 12-years old and they went on to have a nearly 30-year partnership. His proudest accomplishment in life were their three children, Cristy, Kayla and Arden, who are left with decades of fond and colorful memories from late-night fishing trips, living-room concerts (mainly featuring Johnny Cash), all-night poker games, road trips, too many creative meals to count, and general antics and life’s lessons.

Keith was the life of the party and never met a stranger. While he had a tough exterior, it was unable to mask his huge heart and loving nature. He dedicated his life to raising his children and welcomed every friend and neighbor to the dinner table, or more often to bum a smoke and have a chat. He was steadfast, having never lost an argument in his life. His words, not ours. You would have wanted to come back as one of his cats, and not ever one to fear breaking the rules, had snuck his beloved cat Boogie into his hospital room on many occasions.

Keith is also survived by his four brothers, Johnny, Clifford, Jimmy, and Timmy; two sisters, Brenda and Linda; and numerous nephews and nieces.

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, August 1, at the Rio Nido Roadhouse, where he enjoyed his daughter Kayla’s home-cooked meals. Lunch will be served as Keith felt no get-together was complete without food (or more accurately, dessert, to fill his enormous sweet-tooth). Feel free to be as late as you'd like since Keith was never known to be on-time or keep a schedule. While he despised being the center of attention, his family welcomes your stories about Keith and would love to hear them all and celebrate his kindness and good spirit.