Gerald Roberts

R. Gerald Roberts, 92, of Mechanicsville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of quiet strength, deep integrity, and unwavering love for those he held dear. He was the loving husband of Laura Trent Roberts for 70 years.

Born in Concord, VA, on August 21, 1933, he was the son of the late Mott McKinely Roberts and Colena Doss Roberts. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Bea Mann (Harmon), Ruby Jacobs (Harold), Dot Woody (Clyde), Cat Drinkard (Lafayette); and his brothers Mott Roberts (Kitty), and Hunter Roberts (Jackie). He was also preceded in death by a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ed and Jean Trent, a brother-in-law, Ben Driskill, a brother-in-law, Samuel Trent and nephews Ronnie Mann, Garland Trent, and Brian Trent.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Sue Matthews (Steve) of Glen Allen and his son, Jeff Roberts (Melody) of Hanover; granddaughters Jessica Dillon (Paul) of Richmond, Cora Matthews of Glen Allen, Emilie Gibson (Andrew) of Hanover; grandsons Judson Matthews of Glen Allen, Benjamin Matthews (Angela) of Glen Allen, and Jeffrey Roberts of Richmond; great-grandchildren Jonathan Temple, Nathan Dillon (Gabriella), Audrey Matthews, Ray Johnson, Carter Gibson and Beckett Gibson; great-great-grandchildren Alex Dillon and Izzie Dillon. He is also survived by brothers Fred Roberts (Violet), Ned Roberts (Frances) and David Roberts (Susan); two sisters-in-law, Sarah Driskill and Bobbie Trent; numerous nieces and nephews, whom he loved very much; and many cousins and friends.

The family would like to thank his neighbors Mark and Lauren James, Chuck and Paige Stiff and Dave and Jeanie Tostenson for regularly checking on Gerald and Laura and helping them with any and everything they needed from overgrown ditches to groundhogs that tried to move in. Also, Gerald’s good friend John Billeter who regularly visited him along with 1 or 2 or maybe 4 of his dogs. They were always welcome. The family would also like to thank a faithful family friend who helped care for Gerald the last two years of his life and the caregivers at Sancerre Atlee Station, especially Ms. Debi, Pat and Jay.

After graduating from Concord High School, Gerald went to work for C&P Telephone Company before being called to honorably serve his country in the United States Army as part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, disarming and dismantling live bombs that failed to detonate. After his military service, he built a long and successful career with the C&P Telephone Company, retiring after 40 years of dedicated service.

In 1959, Gerald moved his family to Richmond, Virginia, and became a faithful member of Ginter Park Church, where he served diligently for many years. His faith in Jesus was genuine and deeply rooted, and he made it his mission to live according to that faith and pass on its values to his children and grandchildren.

Gerald had a deep love for the outdoors. Whether in the woods hunting birds or deer (though he rarely pulled the trigger on a deer—he said they were too pretty to kill), or simply walking through nature, he was at peace among the trees. He had a gift for training dogs, and often, his dog training sessions became life lessons for those lucky enough to accompany him. His wisdom about living a wholesome life, and the consequences of straying from it, left lasting impressions.

For years Gerald and his good buddy, Al Foxwell could be found at Fort Lee practicing skeet shooting. Gerald regularly participated in competitive skeet shooting and often went home with a trophy. He was 85 at his last shoot and he came home with first place that day.

He enjoyed fishing and would take anyone willing to join him out on the water. He loved gardening and could grow anything. One of his proudest plantings was a small willow oak he pulled from the woods and transplanted behind his shed on Mantilo Creek. That tree now stands tall as a testament to his nurturing spirit.

A true history enthusiast, Gerald had an especially strong interest in the Civil War. He spent countless hours researching, relic hunting, and recounting detailed histories of battles and battlegrounds. His passion may have been sparked by the knowledge that Joseph E. Doss, his great-grandfather, served in the Civil War and is interred in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

But more than his many hobbies, Gerald’s greatest love was his family. He was a devoted husband to Laura and a loving father to Sue and Jeff. He was a constant presence in their lives. He loved watching Jeff’s little league baseball games but he was not the kind of dad that shouted instructions to his son or to his son’s coach during the game. Rather, he attentively watched the game, then later at home would go over the highs and lows of the game with Jeff. Sue was a dancer and while Gerald was pretty vocal about how much he struggled to endure her dance recitals, he never missed any of them because he loved the dancer more than he disliked sitting for hours watching all ages of girls move across the stage in various levels of proficiency. He taught both of his children how to drive, challenged them with logic questions that sometimes took weeks to solve, and passed along life skills with care and patience. He was a good Dad.

He had a soft spot for music—particularly old hymns and country songs. Gerald sang in the shower and while shaving, and he shared his favorite songs with Sue, often asking Laura to play them on the piano so they could sing together. He even taught himself to play the ukulele, a hobby that brought him great joy.

Though not a chef by any stretch, Gerald was an expert on the grill—and an even greater expert on enjoying chocolate. He especially loved Laura’s homemade chocolate ice cream and never passed up a slice of chocolate pie or cake.

Gerald never missed an opportunity to invest in the lives of young people. He and Laura frequently chaperoned youth group trips and were known for both their kindness and their no-nonsense approach to mischief. Whether offering advice about life or crawling under the old youth group bus to make sure it could finish its journey, Gerald always showed up—dependable, steady, and full of heart.

He lived life fully. He enjoyed cutting grass, fixing broken things, taking on projects rather than hiring someone to do it and sharing stories and wisdom with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Even when life became difficult, Gerald managed to smile. His bond with his great-great-grandson Alex was especially sweet—sharing cookies and joy in simple moments. Alex always made sure he and his Poppa had a cookie for each hand.

Gerald Roberts was a man of honor, with quiet humor, and enduring love. He leaves behind a family who adored him, stories that will be passed down for generations, and a life well-lived. He was, above all, a good man—and he will be deeply missed.

There will be a service to celebrate Gerald’s life at Ginter Park United Methodist Church on November 8 at 11:00 am. Lunch will be provided after the service.

In lieu of flowers please consider sending a donation to the Athletic Department at Rustburg High School where it will be used to help supply needed sports equipment for the young boys in Gerald’s home town who could use the support. You can make checks payable to Rustburg High School with a memo indicating in memory of Gerald Roberts. The address is 1671 Village Hwy, Rustburg, VA 24588, attention: Athletic Department.