William A. Roberts, 83, passed away September 30, 2023, at his home in Fort Wayne surrounded by his family. He was born December 7, 1939, in Toledo, Ohio, the son of Charles and Dorothy (Holmes) Roberts. He and his family moved to Findlay, OH in 1946, then to Fort Wayne in 1947. William graduated from North Side High School in 1958 and joined the Army that same year. He served in Germany from 1958-1960 in the Military Police, being discharged in 1961. William then joined the Army Reserve at that time and was discharged in 1965. He worked at B.F. Goodrich for 32 years, retiring in 1994. He enjoyed traveling fishing and all team sports, especially basketball and baseball. William was an avid Norte Dame and Cleveland Indians fan. He especially loved being with family. He was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church and served as Eucharistic Minister. He was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and a lifetime member of the VFW and the American Legion.
He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Patricia (Richhart) Roberts of Fort Wayne, IN; daughters, Suzanne (Mick) McElfresh of Bryan, OH; Lauri (Glen) Phillips, Vicki (Scott) Cooper both of Fort Wayne, IN; sons, David (Angela) Richhart of Hudson, IN: Matthew Richhart of Kendallville, IN; brother Scott Wathen of California; 18 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and 1 great great granddaughter. William was preceded in death by his daughter, Diane Smith, parents, Charles and Dorothy (Roberts) Wathen; stepfather, Paul R. Wathen, grandson Michael Fromm.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 am Friday October 6, 2023, at St. Jude Catholic Church 2130 Pemberton Dr. Fort Wayne, IN, with visitation one hour prior. Visitation also from 2-4 & 6-8 Thursday October 5, 2023, at D.O. McComb and Sons Maplewood Park Funeral Home 4017 Maplecrest Road Fort Wayne IN. Burial in Catholic Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Gibault Children's Services or Knights of Columbus. To sign the online guestbook go to www.mccombandsons.com
