Kathi was born March 5, 1954 in Paterson, New Jersey to Arthur and Georgiana Merish. Raised in Apollo Beach, Florida from the age of four, she graduated from East Bay High School in 1972, but not before meeting the love of her life Ronnie while on a senior year school conference trip to Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel. They married in 1974, which was also the year Kathi met Eugene McRoberts while working at First Ruskin Bank. She joined his young wholesale seafood company, McRoberts Sales Co., Inc. and learned the business from the ground up, eventually helping Eugene innovate new supply strategies for the then burgeoning industry of marine mammal theme parks, zoos and aquariums. By the early 1990s, Kathi had become Secretary/Treasurer and had turned McRoberts into a prominent name in a now global industry, with multiple distribution locations nationwide and the industry's first ever fish catalog featuring design by her cousin Nancy. When Eugene passed in 2008, Kathi purchased the thriving company and turned it into a true family business, and with her family's help continued to grow it into a worldwide leading distributor of frozen fish, shrimp, and shellfish to marine attractions around the world up until her death. Her passion for her work was equaled only by her love for her family.
Kathi is survived by her devoted husband Ron, her loving mother Georgiana Merish, her adoring children Michelle (Ryan) Garis, Brett (Andrea Miranda) Davis, Kyle (Sherri Longway) Davis, her beloved grandchildren Colton, Chase, Guinevere, and Marley, her sister Karen (Dennis) Pinckard, her sister-in-law Sherri (Steve) Brumbelow, her nephews John, Blake, and Tommy, her nieces Britni, Melanie and Courtney, and her loyal McRoberts Sales Team.
The viewing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 7th from 6 to 8 pm at Hillsboro Memorial, 2323 W Brandon Blvd, Brandon, FL 33511. Her funeral service will be held on Thursday, April 8th, 11am, at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 Del Webb Blvd E, Sun City Center, FL 33573. This will be followed by a 12:30pm grave side committal service and luncheon at Hillsboro Memorial, 2323 W Brandon Blvd, Brandon, FL 33511. In lieu of flowers the family ask that donations be made to St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 Del Webb Blvd E, Sun City Center, FL 33573.
