Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

November 19, 2023

CHARLOTTE - William “Bill” George Roberts, 84, died peacefully on Sunday, November 19, 2023.

Born January 27, 1939, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bill was the son of the late George Roberts and Catherine Weber Roberts. Bill attended Eastern Suburban Junior High School, Montgomery Blair High School, and Wheaton High School, from which he graduated as part of Wheaton High School’s first graduating class.  After high school, Bill attended Montgomery Junior College and then the University of Maryland, where he graduated with a degree in business administration.  Upon graduating from the University of Maryland, Bill enlisted in the Navy, where he served from 1961 to 1964 first as a reservist and then as a supply officer stationed at the Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida, serving on the USS Kaskaskia. 

Following his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, Bill worked in the insurance industry for Liberty Mutual, where he met his future partner, Jim Blueford.  In the early 1970s, Bill and Jim established Roberts & Blueford, Inc., an independent insurance agency, which they owned and managed together for forty years.

Bill was always very active in his community.  As a young man, Bill served on the Board of Directors of the Wheaton-Kensington Junior Chamber of Commerce and was active in Boys and Girls Club of Silver Spring.  As his children grew and joined the Mill Creek Towne (MCT) Marlins swim team, in Derwood, Maryland, Bill and his wife, Ann, were constant fixtures all team meets and events, with Bill serving as President of Mill Creek Towne Pool, during which time he oversaw the renovation of the pool and its facilities.  Bill took great joy in playing Santa Claus for his community, appearing at countless family gatherings and community events.  Bill was also very active in his church, Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, serving as an elder and an usher.

Bill was a kind and generous man who always took time to get to know anyone he met, be it a friend, family member, or stranger.  Over the years, Bill and Ann opened their home as a safe and nurturing refuge for those who needed a helping hand, providing a home for a number of people in need of support. 

In 2015, Bill and Ann relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, where their triplet children and many of their grandchildren reside.  Bill is remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend by countless people, the ‘life of the party’ wherever he went.

Bill is survived by his wife, Ann, his children, Christopher and wife Monika, Allyson, Lauren and husband Shaun, and James and wife Carrie, and his grandchildren, Emma, Landon, Jackson, Maggie, Caroline, Bentley, and Hudson. 

In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his older sister, Claire Dangler.

A service to celebrate Bill's life will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church, 610 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family appreciates donations to Miracle of the Hudson, a charity founded by Bill’s son James that benefits children born with ultra rare diseases. Online donations can be made at https://miracle-of-the-hudson.square.site. 

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204 (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.