Roberta B. Thompson

Roberta (Brown) Thompson was born on October 24, 1931, in Winchester, Virginia, the second child of Virginia and George L. Brown. She grew up in the farm town Massie's Corner, Rappahannock County, Virginia, with her older brother, Gilbert (Jack) Brown. Roberta loved farm life. An avid animal lover, she often spoke about her many pets--especially "DuckLuck"--a pet duck she had as a child. Roberta was a member of the first graduating class of George Washington Carver Regional High School in Culpepper, Virginia--the first Black high school in the area--in 1949. She attended business school briefly and assisted her parents before moving to Washington, DC in the 1950s. Roberta worked at D.C. Public Schools in the Health Department and as a dental assistant. In the late 1950s, she found a row house for her parents in NE D.C. and relocated them from rural Virginia. Roberta married Joseph Montgomery and had two daughters, Donna Lynne, and Debra Sophia. Although the marriage ended in divorce, Roberta remained hopeful that she would find love again. She married and divorced again before she met and married Louis Thompson whom she described as the "love of her life". Roberta was a kind, caring and generous lady with a rare sense of style and elegance. She loved fashion, had a quick wit, and a wonderful sense of humor. Her strong faith and belief in God saw her through many difficult times.

Roberta is preceded in death by her eldest daughter, Donna, her brother, Gilbert (Jack), and her parents, George and Virginia Brown, and her husband, Louis Thompson. She is survived by a loving step-daughter, Bette (Thompson), daughter Debra (Alexander), grandson Anthony (Washington), granddaughter Carmen (Montgomery), and seven great-grandchildren: Elijah, Donna, Javier, Kamari, Jaden, Armani, and King who she adored. She also leaves many family members, neighbors and friends, and her cat and companion, Mr. Poppy.