Roberta Shellabarger

Bertie passed away peacefully Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at the age of 91 years, 9 months, 8 days at Traditions of Beavercreek. She had no middle name as her mother thought her name was long enough.

Born January 20, 1934, at the family house and dairy farm on Kemp Road in Beavercreek, most of her great-great-grandparents were early settlers in SW Ohio having arrived by the mid-1800s.

While growing up she spent time helping on the farm, riding horses, taking care of the animals, playing sports in school and attending Beavercreek Church of the Brethren. Bertie was very active in 4-H especially showing cattle, winning many awards. She was one of 60 members of the 1952 class of Beavercreek High School. Bertie was a life-long resident of Beavercreek, living on the family compound with an artesian spring and pond adjacent to Creekside Reserve and Little Beaver Creek.

She attended Manchester College in Indiana returning to work her entire career at Ohio Bell which later became AT&T. She began work in the administration office receiving early training in computing and for many years traveling a large district servicing payphones.

Bertie loved dogs, breeding and showing Springer Spaniels. She participated in dog shows in the US and Canada and had a house full of ribbons and trophies won by her beloved dogs over the years. She was a long-time member of the Dayton Dog Training Club serving as President and as a member of the Board of Directors. For many years she was an instructor for obedience and tracking skills and assisted in running obedience trials, tracking tests, and matches. Spending time traveling to nursing homes to provide pet therapy was also very important to Bertie and something she really enjoyed.

She is preceded in death by her parents Robert C. and Mary K. (Haverstick) Shellabarger, brother Dan Shellabarger, sister Evelyn Young and brother-in-law Elwin Young.

She is survived by sister-in-law Bobbi Shellabarger, a niece and three nephews: Cheryl Shellabarger Mullikin, Robert and Melissa Young, David and Mary Young, Greg and Debbie Shellabarger and many grandnieces and grandnephews.

On behalf of the family, we want to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness and exceptional care provided by the staff at Traditions of Beavercreek.

Family will receive friends at the funeral home from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the Tobias Funeral Home – Beavercreek Chapel, 3970 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek, Ohio, 45432. Dogs are welcome.

Funeral services will immediately follow at 6:30 pm at the funeral home officiated by Pastor David Parker.

Interment will be 11:00 am Thursday November 6, 2025 at Valley View Memorial Gardens, 170 North Valley Road, Xenia 45385. Dogs are welcome.

To honor Bertie's love for dogs, please consider a donation to Dayton Dog Training Club, 3046 E River Rd, Moraine, OH 45439.